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How tall was Princess Diana? Troubled royal restricted her heels to two inches due to King Charles' ego

2023-10-19 16:18
Princess Diana's choice to limit her heel height during her marriage due to Charles' ego is explored in a new book
How tall was Princess Diana? Troubled royal restricted her heels to two inches due to King Charles' ego

NameDiana Frances Spencer
Date of Birth1 July 1961
Place of BirthSandringham, United Kingdom
Date of Death 31 August 1997
Height 5 feet 10 inches (178 centimeters)
Weight58 kg
GenderFemale
Spouse Charles III (m. 1981–1996)
ChildrenPrince Harry, Duke of Sussex, William, Prince of Wales
Networth$25 million

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Princess Diana, a beloved figure in the United Kingdom and around the world, stood at a height of 5 feet 10 inches (178 centimeters) tall.

She was born on July 1, 1961, and tragically died in a car accident on August 31, 1997.

Diana was the first wife of King Charles, and they were married on July 29, 1981. As a result of her marriage to then Prince Charles, she became known as Diana, Princess of Wales. The couple had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Diana was known for her charity work and her involvement in various humanitarian causes. She was particularly active in raising awareness about issues such as AIDS, landmines, and homelessness.

Her kindness, warmth, and accessibility endeared her to the public, earning her the nickname "the People's Princess."

Diana's marriage to Charles faced difficulties, and they eventually divorced in 1996. Despite the challenges in her personal life, Diana continued her charitable work until her tragic death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

Her death was met with an outpouring of grief and sadness from people all over the world. Diana's legacy endures through her charitable endeavors and her enduring impact on the world's perception of the British monarchy.

Was Princess Diana shorter than King Charles?

King Charles reportedly shared the same height as Diana.

The Society Pages suggest deliberate measures were taken to create an illusion that Charles was taller than Diana, aligning with the societal expectation that husbands should be taller than their wives.

Professor Lisa Wade of Occidental College in Los Angeles observed, "This effort to make Charles appear taller is a social commitment to the idea that men are taller and women shorter."

"When our own bodies, and our chosen mates, don’t follow this rule, sometimes we’ll go to great lengths to preserve the illusion," Wade continued.

She concluded, "When Charles and Diana were posed together formally, however, they were typically arranged so as to suggest that he was significantly taller than her, or at least to disguise the fact that he was not."

Princess Diana's height compared to Queen Camilla

Princess Diana had a height of 5 feet 10 inches, (178 centimeters) while Queen Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, is generally believed to be around 5 feet 8 inches (172 cm) tall.

However, there are some reports suggesting her height might be closer to 5 feet 6 inches and she is 2 inches shorter than Princess Diana.

Notably, Camilla typically chooses not to wear notably high heels in public, usually opting for block heels that do not exceed two inches in height. Consequently, she is not regarded as one of the tallest female members of the British royal family.

Princess Diana's height kept her from one of her biggest dreams

Princess Diana, renowned for her iconic style, was not just a fashion icon; she stood tall at 5'10". However, her height presented a challenge to one of her dearest passions: dancing.

She dreamt of becoming a professional ballerina as a child but outgrew the typical height for female dancers. Even before her royal marriage, the constraints of her aristocratic background and societal norms made pursuing a dance career unlikely, according to PopSugar.com

Nonetheless, Diana's love for dance endured, and she resumed her dance hobby as an adult, finding solace and joy in its expressive art form.

Although she couldn't achieve her dream of a dance career, Princess Diana maintained a strong connection to the arts. She supported the English National Ballet, often attending performances and engaging with dancers.

On a few remarkable occasions, she danced publicly, including a memorable dance with John Travolta at the White House and a surprise appearance at the Royal Opera House.

Diana's love for dance unknowingly influenced her descendants, as it was reported that Prince George began taking ballet classes in 2018, showcasing how Diana's legacy continues in subtle ways.

Princess Diana restricted her heel height to two inches or less

According to a new book, during her marriage to Charles, Diana chose not to wear heels higher than two inches due to concerns about her husband's ego.

The book, 'The Lady Di Look Book: What Diana Was Trying to Tell Us Through Her Clothes' by Eloise Moran, explores Princess Diana's fashion choices and suggests that she limited her heel height as a sign of respect for her spouse's self-esteem.

This decision became evident during the years of her marriage, with one example being an outfit she wore to pick up Charles from Cirencester Hospital in 1990, characterized as a "pre-divorce revenge look."

As Diana's confidence grew over the years, her heels gradually got higher, reflecting her changing circumstances and the evolution of her personal style, according to Marieclair.com

Moran also highlights Diana's close relationship with designer Jimmy Choo, noting that as her marriage faced challenges, her choice of footwear shifted from flats to higher heels.

Choo, who was a trusted confidante, collaborated with Diana on her shoe selections.

Tragically, he had prepared a pair of pumps for her upon her return from a trip to Paris in August 1997, where she met her untimely death in a car accident.

However, Diana never had the chance to receive them, and Choo kept them as a poignant memento of his friendship with his most valued client.

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