Inside King Charles’ proposal to Princess Diana as she thought it was ‘a joke’
Princes Diana thought the then Prince Charles was joking when he asked her to marry him.
Today’s King got down on one knee and popped the question to the People’s Princess on February 3, 1981, at Windsor Castle, but Diana did not think he was serious.
Speaking to Andrew Morton for the biography Diana: Her True Story–In Her Own Words, the Princess of Wales said: “[Charles] said, ‘Will you marry me?’ and I laughed.
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She continued: “I remember thinking, ‘This is a joke,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, OK,’ and laughed. He was deadly serious.”
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(Image: Getty Images)
But despite it being the Princess who initially thought it was a joke, she is reported to have been elated by the news.
In her words to Mr Morton, however, she explained how despite being thrilled she looked back afterwards and realised there was something that wasn’t quite right about the way her future husband appeared to be reacting.
“I said, ‘I love you so much, I love you so much.’ And he said, ‘Whatever love means.’ Said it then. So I thought that was great, I thought he meant that.
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(Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
“In my immaturity, which was enormous, I thought that he was very much in love with me, which he was.
“He sort of had the besotted look about him looking back at it, but it wasn’t the genuine sort.”
Charles and Diana announced their engagement to the world later that month, on February 24.
Diana wowed the nation in their engagement photograph as she showed off her whopping sapphire engagement ring.
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(Image: Kypros via Getty Images)
The couple married just a few months later on July 29, in a wedding that stopped the world.
The famous royal event smashed records, with 750 million people from around the glob tuning in to catch a piece of the action.
In London, 600,000 people flocked to the streets to wish the royal couple well.
The couple later separated before being officially divorced In 1996.
Diana sadly passed away just a year later in a car crash in Paris.
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