Princess Diana and Prince Charles: A Complete Timeline of Their Relationship
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King Charles III has been a staid monarch since ascending to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022. But few can forget that his past contains a tumultuous relationship with Princess Diana, his first wife and the mother of his sons, William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry.
Netflix’s The Crown has shown some of the history between Charles and Diana. Season 6 depicts their post-divorce lives, including the car crash that killed Diana. Seeing these moments might make viewers wonder how their relationship really started and ended—and if it was doomed from the start.
The July 1981 wedding of then-Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer seemed like a real-life fairy tale to hundreds of millions of people around the world. After years of bachelorhood, the 32-year-old prince had found his princess: a shy, beautiful 20-year-old English aristocrat. The two went on to have the “heir and a spare” the monarchy required, but the royal couple’s happily-ever-after façade soon devolved into an ongoing scandal.
After years of affair revelations, angry recriminations, and public embarrassment, even Queen Elizabeth agreed divorce was the only option. Charles and Diana officially ended their 15-year marriage in 1996. The very next year, Diana tragically died at age 36. Her legacy isn’t over yet, though. When Charles dies (or if he chooses to abdicate), his son with Diana—William—will take the throne.
Here are the major events in Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s relationship, from meeting to marriage, having children, facing public scandals, and ultimately calling it quits.
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Courtship
November 1977: Prince Charles meets Lady Diana Spencer
Diana was a 16-year-old schoolgirl when Charles visited Althorp, Diana’s home, as a guest of her older sister, Lady Sarah Spencer. Despite the gap in their ages—Charles was 12 years older—Diana felt the prince appreciated her, later saying, “I made a lot of noise, and he liked that, and he came up to me after dinner, and we had a big dance.” She excitedly shared the news of her royal encounter after returning to school.
November 15, 1978: Diana is invited to a dance at Buckingham Palace
Diana was on the guest list for a dance given to celebrate the prince’s 30th birthday.
July 1980: Diana comforts Charles at a house party
The prince and Diana met at a house party about a year after Charles’ mentor and great uncle Lord Louis “Dickie” Mountbatten was killed by an Irish Republican Army bomb. She told him, “You looked so sad when you walked up the aisle at Lord Mountbatten’s funeral. It was the most tragic thing I’ve ever seen. My heart bled for you when I watched. I thought, ‘It’s wrong, you’re lonely, you should be with somebody to look after you.’” Her care and concern appealed to Charles.
September 1980: Diana visits with the royal family at Balmoral, then later poses for an iconic photo
This stay, during which Charles taught Diana to fish, led the prince to believe that Diana enjoyed life in the country. The press spotted the two together at Balmoral and became interested in this potential partner to the heir to the throne.
Pursued by photographers, Diana agreed to pose at the kindergarten where she works. A few resulting photos, in which light shines through her skirt to reveal her legs, further captured the public’s attention. It also earned her a compliment from the prince, who reportedly told her, “I knew your legs were good, but I didn’t realize they were that spectacular.”
January 1981: Prince Philip urges Charles to make a decision
With the press in a furor about Diana, Prince Philip wrote a letter to his son, advising Charles to either propose or end things with Diana to protect her reputation. Charles saw this as an order from his father.
Engagement
February 6, 1981: Charles asks Diana to marry him
Charles invited Diana to Windsor Castle and proposed. He expected her to take time to consider the commitment, given the demands that would be placed on his wife and was surprised when she didn’t hesitate to accept.
February 24, 1981: The royal engagement is announced
Buckingham Palace announced the engagement between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. When asked by an interviewer if they are in love, Diana answered, “Of course,” before Charles added, “Whatever ‘in love’ means.”
Mid-July 1981: Diana finds a bracelet Charles plans to give to Camilla Parker Bowles
Shortly before the royal wedding, Diana discovered a bracelet marked with a “G” and an “F.” The letters either refer to Charles’ designation of Camilla Parker Bowles—the intended recipient—as his “Girl Friday” or their respective nicknames of “Fred” and “Gladys.” Diana got upset by this evidence of her fiancé’s closeness with another woman.
Charles and Camilla had previously dated and began an affair together while she was married to her first husband. Their fling ended before his wedding, but their friendship persisted.
Marriage
July 29, 1981: Charles and Diana’s wedding
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A sketch of Princess Diana's wedding shoes and parasol
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A sketch of Princess Diana's wedding gown
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Princess Diana and Prince Charles on the way to Buckingham Palace by carriage after their wedding ceremony
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Prince Charles and Princess Diana on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral following their wedding
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Prince Charles and Princess Diana exiting their wedding ceremony
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Princess Diana arriving at St Paul's Cathedral in London, England on her wedding day, July 29, 1981
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Princess Diana with designer David Emanuel at Kensington Palace
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Princess Diana's wedding dress designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel
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Princess Diana and Prince Charles pose in Buckingham Palace for their official wedding photograph on July 29, 1981
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Princess Diana wedding dress
Despite misgivings on both sides—the night before Charles was weeping, while Diana continued her struggle with bulimia—the couple wed at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The ceremony had 750 million viewers worldwide.
October 1981: First royal engagement
Diana and Charles traveled to Wales for their first royal engagement. Diana charmed the crowds to the point that people chant, “We want Diana!” and paid little attention to Charles.
January 1982: A pregnant Diana tumbles down the stairs
Diana fell down a staircase while at the royal estate of Sandringham. She later called this incident one of multiple suicide attempts, saying, “I threw myself down the stairs.” However, at the time, she and others described the fall as an accident. Fortunately, she was only bruised in the incident.
June 21, 1982: Prince William is born
Both Charles and Diana were delighted by the arrival of their son, though afterward, Diana suffers from postpartum depression.
March 1983: Royal tour of Australia and New Zealand begins
Charles and Diana, along with Prince William, visited Australia and New Zealand. Most of the attention and adulation was again directed at Diana, while a jealous Charles was relegated to the background. One security officer described the reaction to Diana as “more akin to Beatlemania.”
September 15, 1984: Prince Harry is born
Diana knew she was carrying a boy but didn’t share this information with Charles, who was hoping for a girl. After the birth, she felt Charles’ disappointment. She later said that due to his reaction “something inside me closed off,” and, “Our marriage, the whole thing went down the drain.”
Circa 1986: Charles resumes his affair with Camilla
The two had been in contact earlier, but their romantic relationship reignited around 1986.
November 1986: Diana begins an affair
Diana embarked upon her own extramarital relationship with Captain James Hewitt, a cavalry officer who was her riding instructor. They remained involved for five years.
February 1989: Diana confronts Camilla
According to Diana, while at a house party she found Camilla and told the older woman, “I obviously am in the way, and it must be hell for both of you, but I do know what is going on. Don’t treat me like an idiot.”
June 7, 1992: A Diana biography reveals intimate details
Diana: Her True Story, a biography written by Andrew Morton, was serialized in the Sunday Times prior to its publication later in June. The book shared Diana’s struggles with bulimia and depression as well as her attempts at suicide. It also described Camilla as a third wheel in the royal marriage. Although she initially denied any involvement, the book was written with Diana’s cooperation.
August 1992: “Squidgygate” recording becomes public
Tabloids shared an intimate conversation between Diana and a friend named James Gilbey that was recorded on December 31, 1989. In the call, Diana complained about the royal family and referred to life with Charles as “real torture.” The episode was dubbed “Squidgygate” because Gilbey used the name “Squidgy” to address the princess.
November 1992: The “Camillagate” scandal begins
News broke that a private conversation between Charles and Camilla was also recorded in December 1989; the scandal is called “Camillagate.” The full contents of the alternately racy and loving conversation came out in January 1993, revealing lines like Charles telling his lover, “I’ll just live inside your trousers or something,” perhaps as “a Tampax.”
Separation and Divorce
December 9, 1992: Charles and Diana separate
The separation of Charles and Diana was announced in the House of Commons. However, it was said that the couple would not divorce, and Diana would still become queen should Charles ascend to the throne.
June 29, 1994: Charles publicly admits to adultery
In an interview for a television documentary, Charles admitted he conducted an adulterous relationship during his marriage to Diana. He explained this only happened after his marriage “became irretrievably broken down.” The prince’s secretary confirmed that the prince was referring to Camilla.
November 20, 1995: Diana’s secret interview is broadcast
In an interview on the BBC television show Panorama, which was conducted without the royal family’s knowledge earlier in November, Diana addressed her husband’s relationship with Camilla, saying, “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” She also questioned whether Charles should become king.
December 19, 1995: Charles asks for a divorce
Diana’s public airing of her struggles was a bridge too far for Queen Elizabeth, who agreed that the royal marriage should end. Calling their union a “national and personal tragedy,” Charles wrote to ask Diana for a divorce.
July 15, 1996: Charles and Diana file for divorce
The divorce filing was preceded by months of negotiations: The two agreed to split custody of their sons. Per the agreement, Diana kept her title as Princess of Wales but no longer was known as Her Royal Highness.
The marriage was officially dissolved six weeks after this filing.
June 25, 1997: Diana auctions off old gowns for charity
In a gesture that symbolized the shedding of her old life as Charles’ spouse, Diana arranged to auction off 79 dresses in New York. The auction raised $3.25 million that benefitted five AIDS- and cancer-related charities.
August 31, 1997: Diana dies in a car crash in Paris
Charles joined Diana’s sisters when they flew to Paris that day to claim her body.
September 6, 1997: Diana’s funeral
With his two sons, father, and Diana’s brother, Charles walked behind Diana’s coffin in a funeral procession through London.
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