<p id=”par-1_66″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/princess-diana/”>Princess Diana</a> was just 19 years old when she first stood in front of the press as Prince Charles’s fiancée. She wore a beautiful blue suit, which matched her eyes, and her 11-carat <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-hidden-struggle-kate-middleton-faces-with-princess-dianas-engagement-ring.html/”>diamond and sapphire engagement ring</a>. However, little did she know that her outfit would be connected to two elements via a heartbreaking tragedy that would change the course of the royal family forever.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-beginning-and-end-of-princess-diana-s-royal-life-were-tied-to-the-same-place-and-people”>The beginning and end of Princess Diana’s royal life were tied to the same place and people</h2>
<p id=”par-2_29″>Upon accepting Prince Charles’ proposal at Windsor Castle on Feb. 6, 1981, Princess Diana was thrust onto the world’s stage to meet the press as a future princess. </p>
<p id=”par-3_30″>Diana and her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, went to Harrods in search of a perfect outfit. There, the 19-year-old chose a cobalt blue skirt suit by the label Cojana. </p>
<p id=”par-4_28″>The suit’s youthful silhouette reflected Diana’s style. She paired the suit with a blouse by the couple who would later design her wedding gown, David and Elizabeth Emmanuel.</p>
<p id=”par-5_36″>The paparazzi and Harrod’s Department Store forever linked Diana’s first moments as a royal and her last. In 1981, Harrods where the suit was purchased and how Diana first met the paparazzi as Charles’ bride-to-be. </p>
<p id=”par-6_29″>In 1997, Diana dated Dodi al-Fayed, the son of Harrod’s owner. Her <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/princess-diana-final-moments-heartbreaking-truths-revealed-new-docuseries-who-killed-diana.html/”>final royal moments</a> were being chased by the paparazzi into a tunnel alongside Dodi and two others.</p>
<p id=”par-7_29″>The <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/king-charles-distraught-over-princess-diana-tragic-death-author.html/”>couple died</a> in a car accident on August 31. Diana was 36. Mohammed al-Fayed purchased Harrods in 1985 and became intrinsically linked to the iconic London department store.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-why-did-princess-diana-buy-an-off-the-rack-outfit-for-such-an-important-royal-moment”>Why did Princess Diana buy an off-the-rack outfit for such an important royal moment?</h2>
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<iframe title=”ITN Exclusive: “Whatever ‘in love’ means” – Charles and Diana Engagement Interview in Full (1981)” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/6lSmizRAe6A?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-8_34″>Princess Diana went to Bellville Sassoon shortly after her engagement announcement, looking for an outfit to wear for her official photos. The saleswoman at the store didn’t recognize Diana and suggested she try Harrods instead. </p>
<p id=”par-9_31″>Despite the initial awkwardness, Diana would later return to Bellville Sassoon and develop a close relationship with David Sassoon. She later becomes a loyal client and wears many of his designs. </p>
<p id=”par-10_42″>According to the book <em>Diana: Her True Story</em>, Princess Diana admitted her initial wardrobe was wholly inadequate for a royal family member, as the family’s year is divided into three official seasons. These often involved four formal changes of clothes a day.</p>
<p id=”par-11_40″>“Her wardrobe of one long dress, one silk shirt, and shart pair of shoes was wholly inadequate. During her romance, she regularly raided her friends’ wardrobes so she would have a presentable outfit to go out in,” the book read.</p>
<p id=”par-12_39″>It continued, “While her mother helped her choose the famous blue engagement duit which she bought from Harrods, she asked her sisters’ friend, Anna Harvey, the fashion editor of Bogue magazine, for advice on building up her formal wardrobe.”</p>
<p id=”par-13_37″>The passage concluded, “She began to understand that her working clothes had not just to be fashionable but also to cope with the vagaries of walkabout, the intrusion of photographers and her even present enemy, the wind.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-when-did-diana-date-dodi-al-fayed”>When did Diana date Dodi Al-Fayed?</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/princess-diana-dodi-al-fayed.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Princess Diana and Dodi al-Fayed in side by side photographs” class=”wp-image-3768998″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Princess Diana and Dodi al-Fayed in side by side photographs | PA Images via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
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<p id=”par-14_39″>Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed began dating in the summer of 1997. Their romance blossomed after Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were invited to vacation with the Fayed family on their yacht in July 1997.</p>
<p id=”par-15_30″>Diana had a long association with the Fayed family via the royals. The Fayed family had long-standing connections to the House of Windsor through business endeavors, social circles, and philanthropy.</p>
<p id=”par-16_22″>Dodi was the Mohammed’s son. He had known Diana socially for years, but their relationship reportedly turned romantic during this trip. </p>
<p id=”par-17_33″>After William and Harry returned to the UK, Diana continued spending time with Dodi, and the two were frequently photographed together in the Mediterranean. It was there their relationship reportedly turned more serious.</p>
<p id=”par-18_39″>Mohamed also owned the Ritz Hotel in Paris, where Diana and Dodi stayed ahead of their tragic accident. While there was intense speculation about the seriousness of their romance—including rumors of an engagement—there was never concrete evidence of this.</p>