Rare Photos Of Princess Diana And Prince Charles

Published on August 2, 2019. Updated October 18, 2019

Prince Charles and Princess Diana had a really public relationship, which began when they were married in front of the world on July 29, 1981. Even though they were one of the most famous couples in the world, there are still a number of moments that the couple shared that the public never saw. Here are some rare photos of the Prince and Princess of Wales:

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50. On Their Honeymoon – 1981

Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent their honeymoon cruising around in the Mediterranean on the Royal Yacht Britannia and then headed to Scotland to spend some time at Balmoral. In this picture, they are on the Royal Yacht Britannia and, although they look content, it wasn’t exactly a very amorous honeymoon. According to one of Diana’s letters, she used the honeymoon to catch up on sleep.

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49. Ascot Racehorse – 1986

In 1986, Princess Diana and Prince Charles attended the Royal Ascot, which is arguably Britain’s most valuable race meeting and one of the biggest royal fashion events of the year. Diana made sure to attend the event in style. She wore this pretty white skirt suit while Charles wore a three-piece suit with a top hat.

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 48. Tour of Cameroon – 1990   

The Prince and Princess of Wales did a three-day royal tour of Cameroon in March 1990. In this picture, they are watching a dancing display in Bamenda. It is clear in this photo that the royal couple was no longer as close as they once were.

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47. Tour of Italy – 1985

In 1985, Princess Diana and Prince Charles did a tour of Italy with their two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. In this picture, they are traveling by gondola along the Grand Canal without their children and both of them seem at least somewhat happy.

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46. Polo Match at Windsor Great Park – 1981

Prior to marrying Prince Charles, Princess Diana spent a lot of time watching her husband-to-be playing polo. Here she is in 1981 at Windsor Great Park with Charles after a polo match. How cute are her yellow overalls?

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45. Tour of Australia – 1985

During their marriage, Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited Australia three times – once in 1983 and then again in 1985 and 1988. In 1985, the royal couple made a visit to Victoria to celebrate the state’s 150th anniversary and while there they attended the Melbourne Cup. In this picture, they are in the Government House in Melbourne, Australia.

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44. At Balmoral – 1988

During their marriage, Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent a lot of time at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. They are pictured here at Balmoral Racetrack in 1988 with Prince William and Prince Harry. William is riding an adorable pony while Harry is just an infant.

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43. The Braemar Highland Games – 1987

Their Royal Highnesses attended The Braemar Gathering several times together. Here they are in 1987 at the event with Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother. Princess Diana is wearing a plaid two-piece dress suit and Prince Charles wore a plaid kilt.

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42. St. James Theatre, Aukland, New Zealand – 1983

The royal couple were on tour of New Zealand in 1983. They visited St. James Theatre where they watched a performance of the ballet “Coppelia.” Diana looked lovely in this purple evening gown while Charles wore a tux.

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41. Visit with the King of Saudi Arabia – 1987

King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia, visited Britain in 1987 and Prince Charles and Princess Diana are seen here attending the Parade at the Royal Military in Sandhurst that was thrown in his honor. We love the expression on Diana’s face in this picture!

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40. Meeting Phil Collins – 1990

Phil Collins was part of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s inner circle in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. He even attended the future king’s 40th birthday party in 1988! Here are they all are meeting again at a Prince’s Trust charity concert at Royal Albert Hall in 1990.

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39. When Diana Dented Charles’ Ashton Martin – 1987

In 1987, the royal couple drove to a polo match in Charles’ Aston Martin, which his mother gifted him on his 21st birthday. While he played polo, Diana posed on the hood of the car, leaving a dent. A furious Charles told her to get off so that she wouldn’t damage the bodywork but, as soon as he was gone, she got back on!

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38. Tour of Canada – 1983

Prince Charles had made numerous trips to Canada but, in 1983, he and his new wife Princess Diana made their first trip there together. They toured the Maritime provinces to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Newfoundland becoming a British colony and attended the World University Games in Edmonton.

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37. Windsor Great Park – 1985

During happier times, Charles and Diana were all smiles after a charity polo match at Windsor Great Park. After Charles won the match, Diana presented him with an award. These two looked very much in love here.

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36. Their First Royal Engagement – 1981

Before they were husband and wife, Prince Charles brought Lady Diana to a black-tie event at Goldsmith’s Hall in London, which was their first royal engagement together. According to Diana, he was not a fan of her dress because it was black and he and his family believed that only people in mourning should wear black. Diana refused to change, insisting that she was not yet part of the royal family.

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35. With Prince Edward – 1983

In 1983, Princess Diana and Prince Charles did a tour of Australia and New Zealand. While in New Zealand, they visited Charles’ younger brother Edward in Wanganui where he was a student at the time. They all look so young in this picture, don’t they?

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34. Polo Match – 1985

At a polo match at Cirencester Polo Club in 1985, their Royal Highnesses shared a moment. This was clearly during a happier period in their marriage. Doesn’t Diana seem content? And so does Charles! If only they could have stayed this happy.

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33. Westminster Pier – 1981

Diana was still really new to the British royal family in November 1981. Here she is with Princess Margaret and Prince Charles awaiting the arrival of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands at Westminster Pier. She looked so pretty in pink!

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32. Royal Tour of Canada – 1983

In June 1983, the royal couple was doing a tour of Canada. One of their stops was in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where they met the Canadian Prime Minister at the time, Pierre Trudeau. Halifax is a notoriously rainy city – hence the couple’s raincoats and umbrellas.

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31. Western Isle of Scotland – 1985

In 1985, the popular royal couple visited a harbor in the Western Isles in Scotland. Although there is no hint of rain in the sky, Princess Diana is certainly dressed like it’s pouring! Maybe she was a bit cold out there on the waterfront!

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30. Montague, Prince Edward Island, Canada – 1983

The newly married couple visited Montague, Prince Edward Island, Canada, in 1983 during their royal tour. As always, the Princess of Wales looked lovely in this pink ensemble. It was clear even at this point that she was the star of the show. Charles may have done all of the public speaking during this tour, but all eyes were on her.

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29. Tour of Germany – 1987

The royal duo was in Berlin, Germany in 1987. There was speculation at this point that all was not well with the couple. Diana had recently failed to attend the wedding of Lady Amanda Knatchbull, a former flame of Prince Charles, and the press was convinced that their marriage was in trouble.

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28. Guards Club Polo – 1986

In this photo, Prince Charles is driving Princess Diana in his Aston Martin away from the Guards Polo Club where he just had a match. It was a pretty sweet ride and the two looked quite glamorous together in the front seat.

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27. Tour of Australia – 1983

During their tour of Australia in 1983, the royal duo visited victims of bushfires in Cockatoo, Australia. Diana dazzled in this lovely purple gown and it was obvious that these bushfire victims were happy to see the young, beautiful princess.

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26. St. Peter’s Basilica – 1985

In 1985, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome during their tour of Italy. Before this, the royal couple had a private meeting with Pope John Paul II. Diana dressed to impress with this pink polka dot dress.

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25. Tour of Australia – 1983

In this picture, the royal couple was ending their tour of Australia in Melbourne. Diana seemed particularly happy as she donned this red dress with blue polka dots and waved to the crowd as she boarded the plane. She was clearly a hit with Australians.

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24. Mrs. Mynors Nursery School – 1987

Like his older brother Prince William, Prince Harry also attended Mrs. Mynors Nursery School. In this picture, Princess Diana and Prince Charles are picking him up from school in style. Diana’s in this lovely brown skirt with a cream sweater while Charles is in a suit!

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23. Tour of Italy – 1985

During their tour of Italy in 1985, Diana and Charles traveled to Sardinia where they received a warm welcome as hundreds of cheering schoolchildren greeted them and waved British flags. Diana was clearly the star of this show. She wore this pale blue Jan van Velden suit and a John Boyd hat and looked absolutely beautiful.

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22. Tour of Australia – 1983

Prince Charles and Princess Diana attended a charity ball at the Wentworth Hotel in Sydney during their tour of Australia in 1983. She was the belle of the ball in a light blue gown with a silver belt and jewelry.

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21. Banquet at the Palais De L’Elysee – 1988

During their joint tour of France, the couple attended a banquet at the Palais De L’Elysee in Paris, which was hosted by President Francois Mitterrand and his wife Danielle. In this picture, it seems the two were caught in some sort of misunderstanding.

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20. Ski Holiday – 1985

The Prince and Princess of Wales went on a ski holiday to Vaduz, Liechtenstein, in January 1985. She arrived for the photocall in style in this red one-piece snowsuit from Harrod’s in London while he looked charming in his blue and white snowsuit. They certainly looked good together!

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19. Nijo Castle, Kyoto – 1986

The royal twosome is pictured here attending a traditional tea ceremony at Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Japan, in 1986. At this point, Diana was well on her way to becoming a fashion icon. She looked absolutely stunning in this red and white polka dress with a matching red hat.

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18. Queen’s Cup Polo Match – 1983

Prince Charles and Princess Diana were at the Queen’s Cup Polo Match in 1983 where they were all smiles as they chatted with some friends. Diana always knew how to dress for an event. Here she is in a simple white blouse and skirt with a pink coat.

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17. On Route to Nigeria – 1990

The couple visited Nigeria in 1990, but it was clear at this point that their marriage had soured. While there, Diana visited children’s hospitals, traditional handloom weavers and women’s development projects, and Charles opened a British Council Library, walked in a rainforest and greeted war veterans.

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16. The Queen Mother’s 87th Birthday – 1987

The royal family celebrated the Queen Mother’s birthday at Clarence House in 1987. In this picture, Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth seem to be having a good time together. The Queen’s laughing with Charles and Diana seems a bit surprised by something her husband said.

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15. The Braemar Highland Games – 1982

Princess Diana and Prince Charles attended Scotland’s Braemar Games together in 1982 during their annual holiday at Balmoral. Here they are with Queen Elizabeth. Diana always knew when to pose for a photograph without making it seem like she was posing!

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14. At the White House – 1985

In November 1985, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy at the White House. During this trip, Nancy asked John Travolta to dance with Diana, which resulted in one of the most iconic pictures of the two dancing together.

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13. Rupert Soames’ Wedding – 1988

The royal couple attended Rupert Soames 1988 wedding together in style. She looked stunning in this black and blue outfit while Charles looked dapper in his morning suit. Based on their body language, things seemed to have cooled off between them at this point.

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12. Hamburg, Germany – 1987

During an official visit to Germany, Princess Diana and Prince Charles visited a department store in Hamburg. The main point of their visit, however, was to tour southern Bavaria and meet with members of the British community there.

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11. Polo Match at Palm Beach, Florida – 1985

During a short trip to Washington D.C. and Florida in 1985, the Prince and Princess of Wales stopped in Palm Beach where Charles took part in a polo match. In this photo, Diana was presenting the two teams with trophies.

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10. The Braemar Highland Games – 1988

The royal couple attended the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland in 1988 where Charles was decked out in a kilt and Diana in a plaid dress skirt combo with a hat. It doesn’t seem like the happiest photo of them together, but there are definitely other photos where they look more miserable.

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9. Visit to Hungary – 1990

In 1990, Charles and Diana were keeping up appearances when they visited Hungary together. Here they are in the country’s capital, Budapest. Their visit was only four days long and during that time they met with government officials, business officials and artists.

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8. Barbican Arts Centre – 1982

The royal couple attended the Barbican Arts Centre in London in 1982. At the time, Princess Diana was pregnant with William. We love that you can see Diana just staring at Charles with a really loving expression. This was obviously the brief period where the two were quite happy together.

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7. Tour of Indonesia – 1989

In November 1989, the royal couple was together on a tour of Indonesia. While they looked happy in earlier photos, that just wasn’t the case here. They both look like they’d rather be someone where else with someone else.

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6. Grand National – 1982

Prince Charles and Princess Diana are pictured here at the Grand National. She was pregnant in this photo, but it’s impossible to tell. She was still so stylish with her matching coat and hat. It doesn’t really matter what Charles is wearing in this picture cause it’s all about Diana!

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5. Tour of Australia – 1983

During their six-week Australian tour in March 1983, the couple climbed Ayers Rock, which is now called Uluru.  Here they are walking around the massive sandstone rock formation together. Diana looked lovely in this white dress with flats.

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4. Guards Polo Club – 1987

In 1987, Diana presented Charles with a runner’s up medal at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor and the two shared a kiss. Interestingly, it was only a year earlier that Charles had begun an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. Maybe that’s why the kiss here seems so lackluster. 

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3. Arriving Back in England from Klosters – 1983

Prince Charles is seen here with Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson arriving back in England from Klosters, Switzerland, in 1983. They were all on a ski vacation at Klosters Ski Resort when a member of their party, Major Hugh Lindsay, was killed by an avalanche.

 

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2. Polo Match – 1988  

Princess Diana attended many polo matches during her marriage to Prince Charles. In this photo, she is attending one of Charles’ polo match with Prince William and Prince Harry in this pastel-colored outfit. The body language in this picture is really interesting. There seems to be some tension.

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1. At The Braemar Gathering – 1981

The Prince and Princess of Wales went to The Braemar Gathering together in Scotland in 1981. The couple had only been married a couple of months at this point and Diana looked particularly bored at this event. At least she arrived in style in this plaid dress and black hat.

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