Charles and Diana

[Denville]

Originally Posted by Curryong

Diana loved dancing and ballet. Did Charles go with her to any dance festivals, accompany her regularly to tha way of life that they enjoy.

in relation to this Curry, I beleive that Chas did go to the ballet with her.. I would have to check but I think that there's something in TIna B's book about the famous "Diana dancing" thing..
that Wayne Sleep though that C was a bit miffed not because of Di's dancing being "vulgar" (as the story goes) but because the previous year, he and Di had taken part in a skit at the ballet and he was perhaps annoyed that he had not been asked to join in something again. I will try adn get my Tina B book out.. and check it.

[Denville]

Curryong, I have checked Tina Brown and Charles did look a bit frosty after the Diana dancing.. and Wayne Sleep felt that he was annoyed rahter than "disgusted by Di being so showy". That the previous year he and Di had done a skit at the Ballet, where he, Charles, Sang Just one Cornetto to Diana. And that Sleep felt C was annoyed that Di had done something on hr own.. so that proves that he DID accompany Di to the Ballet perhaps only on one or 2 occasions a year, but he did...

[Duc_et_Pair]

Oh yes that ballet. Toe cringing and curling. A Princess of Wales, a future Queen, on spitzen and in a tutu dancing for an audience. Hmmm... No wonder Charles was annoyed.

[wyevale]

A Princess of Wales, a future Queen, on spitzen and in a tutu dancing for an audience. Hmmm...

No worse SURELY than a Queen [and a FRENCH Queen at that] appearing on Stage, as Marie Antoinette did...?

[Curryong]

Diana wasn't in a tutu at all, but in a flowing gown. She was apparently very graceful on stage. Her intentions were good. She wanted to please her husband.

As for Royal persons making idiots of themselves plus a really, really bad judgement call, what about the idiocy of 'It's a Royal Knockout' in which no less than two of the Queen's sons, her daughter and her daughter in law performed? Royal Born Idiots, no less, really hurting the dignity of the BRF. Diana didn't take part in that little display!

[Osipi]

If I remember right, Charles loved being a big ham on the stage during his university years.

Diana always loved the ballet and would have aspired to be a dancer but as she stated herself, she grew too tall. Teaching ballet was an idea that she toyed with for a bit before the romance with Charles started also. I imagine she would have been very graceful and good at what she was doing on stage.

As far as Charles' reaction, a photograph really isn't that much to go by. For all we know, at that moment he could have been dealing with acid reflux or numerous other things that don't create a smile.

[Curryong]

Diana was hardly gyrating about the stage around a pole! She and Wayne Sleep devised a short dance routine in which incidentally the 24 year old Diana appears very graceful. The performance received eight curtain calls and we don't know, except for one momentary photo showing him looking serious, whether Charles was annoyed about it or not. It took place early in the marriage so he may very well have been quite OK with the surprise.

Incidentally, the year before, both Charles and Diana had appeared together on stage at Covent Garden for the same charity in a skit as Romeo and Juliet. At that time Charles had sung a parody of a popular ad of the time 'Just one more Corneto' on stage. But of course, as this is Charles's performance we are supposed to think of it as being supremely dignified, I suppose!

[Lee-Z]

Is there an actual video of this or are we all posting from memory here...if the latter is the case than imo we should be careful to avoid "hindsight-interpretation"
(as Diana was a very good dancer i can hardly imagine it being cringeworthy...)

and no, i didnt see the video, nor read the books mentioned here, i'm just a bit annoyed by how things spiral out of control here and accusations keep flying everywhere

just my 2cts, everyone is free to disagree

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Curryong

Diana was hardly gyrating about the stage around a pole! She and Wayne Sleep devised a short dance routine in which incidentally the 24 year old Diana appears very graceful. The performance received eight curtain calls and we don't know, except for one momentary photo showing him looking serious, whether Charles was annoyed about it or not. It took place early in the marriage so he may very well have been quite OK with the surprise.

Incidentally, the year before, both Charles and Diana had appeared together on stage at Covent Garden for the same charity in a skit as Romeo and Juliet. At that time Charles had sung a parody of a popular ad of the time 'Just one more Corneto' on stage. But of course, as this is Charles's performance we are supposed to think of it as being supremely dignified, I suppose!

Diana would have received curtain calls anyway, without a relation to the quality of the performance on spitzen and in tutu.

[Curryong]

She probably would have received curtain calls that's true, just as people near royalty literally almost split their sides when Charles (or any other Royal) cracks a joke or lap it up if he happens to make comments about them.

Diana was not wearing a tutu and at least she had trained in dance for several years. Diana and Sleep's dance routine was more a form of modern dancing than traditional ballet. Charles hasn't trained as a comedian, singer or actor has he, nevertheless he sang on the same stage as Romeo the year before, and acted on stage in his Uni years.

https://lisawallerrogers.com/tag/pri...diana-dancing/

(Lisa sources both Tina Brown and Kitty Kelley when commenting on Diana's performance and the previous year when Charles sang a parody of a popular TV advertisement.)

[HistoryGirl]

I'm not sure how performing ballet could be considered inappropriate for a future queen. It's not like she was dirty dancing on a street corner.

[Lee-Z]

okay, so basically, C&D did a skit together the previous year, and this year Diana did a dance with Wayne Sleep, Charles was surprised and not enthousiastic and now we are all interpreting why and coming up with answers that suit our own opinions, like in that linked article "now we know why, he had Camilla".
But aren't there loads of possible reasons like:
- Charles was jealous because he's not a great dancer himself
- Charles doesn't like surprises, period
- Charles had wanted to do another joint skit and Diana had said she didn't feel like it
- The two had been told off by her majesty the year before and had agreed not to do it again
- etc etc (you can invent loads more)

oh, and that dress is *not* a tutu

[Denville]

Originally Posted by Lee-Z

okay, so basically, C&D did a skit together the previous year, and this year Diana did a dance with Wayne Sleep, Charles was surprised and not enthousiastic and now we are all interpreting why and - etc etc (you can invent loads more)

oh, and that dress is *not* a tutu

I think that it is really just OTT to say that Diana was "cringe worthy etc" and that it was not suitable/vulgar for a future Queen to display her dance talents in public. Why Charles wasn't enthusiastic, we don't really know. The General "interpretation" years ago was that probably he felt it was inappropriate for his wife to do this..but Wayne Sleep who actually was there, thought that there might be another thing behind it, that Charles felt left out, or annoyed that Diana had kept a secret or surprised him with her dance. So maybe htat was the real reason.. If he and She had done a skit together the previous year, then clearly he did accompany her to the ballet at times, and also, clearly he didn't feel that a fun performance at this event was really beneath royal dignity if he was willing to take part in the skit with his wife.

[Denville]

Originally Posted by Curryong

A private conversation in which both of these people were married to others and discussing how to fix up the next tryst. Hardly the behaviour of a man whom the country is supposed to look up to as the future Governor of the Church of England.

And behaving in what way? Diana was hardly gyrating about the stage around a pole! She and Wayne Sleep devised a short dance routine in which incidentally the 24 year old Diana appears very graceful. suppose!

I don't know for sure if he was annoyed but Sleep thought he was.. and thougt that he knew why, and as he did actually see Charles, it is possible that he had hit on a more correct interpretation as to why C might have been less than pleased.
But yes for goodness sake, there are lots of things that Royals have done in public that are far more undignified than Diana doing a dance routine of modern dance with W Sleep- (as far as I know she was not "en pointe" though I don't quite know why that would be bad), displaying her talent as a dancer. Its a Knockout was one of them.

[Duc_et_Pair]

I find it kind of inappropriate that the Princess of Wales is dancing on a stage. It was nowhere vulgar at all but she was Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, she should be guest of honour, watching the soloists and the corps of a ballet as their Lady Protectoress, as their mecaenas. These dancers have given blood, sweat, tears and a lot of blisters to reach that stage. And then a goodwilling amateur is hopping on that stage? It is just gut-feeling: the Princess better should have done it in a more private setting. But of course: opinions on this will differ and good taste is in the eye of the beholder.

[royal rob]

Goodness me I can't believe some of the comments if Diana shouldn't have danced maybe Charles shouldn't have played polo. Something he was interested in and did well same as Diana and dancing.

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[Mermaid1962]

This is actually rather sweet (no pun intended) because Diana was singing that at Clarence House while getting ready for her wedding and, I believe, also in the carriages.

Originally Posted by Curryong

At that time Charles had sung a parody of a popular ad of the time 'Just one more Corneto' on stage. But of course, as this is Charles's performance we are supposed to think of it as being supremely dignified, I suppose!

[soapstar]

I've edited and deleted posts regarding Charles and Camilla's private phone calls and posts about the Duchess of Cambridge. This thread isn't about those things, so let's get back on-topic. Also, further discussions about Diana's ancestors and their connections to the BRF, should be taken to the Princess Diana Ancestry and Family thread.

[royal rob]

If anyone cares to google it there are plenty of photos of Diana dancing in a long dress not a tutu so let's clean up that part of the story once and for all. It all looks very elegant and decent so that's ticked off too. If Charles was put off about it I'd say that's more because of his own problems and not Diana's doing


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[Duc_et_Pair]

It is just a matter of opinions. You have no problem to see The Princess of Wales publicly dancing on a stage. Others maybe say: Heu... ma'am, you better keep it indoors if we may advise you... It is just the expectation one has from a Princess of Wales, a future Queen.