Diana at the Polo

[umbrellagirl]

Another year of polo begins. May 2, 1988.
The photos from this day are familiar images of Diana at her best. Here are just a few to refresh our memories.
I did find one really different picture, where Diana had taken off her jacket.



Photos: 1.Tim Graham/Getty Images; 2.APL/Tim Graham; 3.Hello magazine; 4.Alpha

[umbrellagirl]

Here's a puzzle: While assembling these photos, I've begun to wonder if there were two occasions when Diana wore this exact same outfit to polo. We know for sure that one was May 2. In Tim Graham's book "The Royal Year 1988," the pictures for that day show William wearing a coat over a sweatshirt. Almost all of the photos I've found show him in that outfit; at one point he removed his coat.

But -- there are two photos where William is wearing a down-filled vest. Tim Graham (on gettyimages.com) gives the date also as May 2, but I'm not sure. I suppose he could have been wearing that vest layered under his coat and over the sweatshirt and the red shirt whose collar is visible underneath that, but the vest has a high collar which you'd think would be visible, and it isn't. Also, his hair seems to be combed differently. On the other hand, he's wearing the same pants and shoes, and Diana's outfit is the same in all the photos, right down to the earrings.

Does anybody have any opinions on this?

(Photos 1 through 4, definitely May 2. Photos 5 and 6, same day??)







Photos: 1 and 2.Tim Graham; 3.Rex Features; 4.Hello magazine; 5.Debrett's Illus. Fashion Guide (J. and T. Fincher); 6.Tim Graham/Getty Images

[Squidgy]

Hmmm! I'm not sure Umbrellgirl! It's certainly not unheard of for Diana, within a short time span, to wear the same outfit, accessories & jewellry. So it could be possible that this is two different days.

Or maybe as the day wore on, William got a bit warmer & didn't need quite so heavy a coat, so he switched to a vest. Or maybe, being a rambunctious little boy, he was a little sloppy & had to change his clothes! LOL!

On to a different topic, I've always wondered about this cap Diana is wearing. She wore it quite often in the late 80s/early 90s but I never could figure out what it said on it or what the motif was? I read somewhere that she had a cap from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (or a Canadian military division), but I'm not sure if this is it?? I know she did have a Canadian cap that said OOP (Ontario Provincial Police) that she wore in Spain in 1994, but I'm not sure about this one. Anyone have any thoughts?

[Binky]

The Koala swater on page three is truly a work of ugly. Yikes. I love pretty much everything else. the 80s fashion seems a little outdated today, but it was the height of cool back then (high waited pants, ankle socks with pumps, etc.)

[umbrellagirl]

Squidgy, thank you for your thoughts. I wondered too if maybe William just changed out of the coat to the vest.
And as for the cap, I've never been able to decipher the insignia on it.

Here comes that cap again, at polo on May 8, 1988 (date supplied by Canadiana):



Photos: 1, 3, and 4.Hello magazine; 2.Tim Graham

[umbrellagirl]

Polo, May 22, 1988 (date from Canadiana).
The same cap once again.



Photo: Hello magazine

[princessdianafan70]

these photos are fabtabulous! Thank you Umbrellagirl for sharing...have never seen these photos of Diana at polo in 1988..GREAT additions to my collection :)

[Christo's Girl]

It may have been an cap with the RCMP motif.

[umbrellagirl]

I need help illustrating the next two polo matches.
I've been following Canadiana's listing of polo dates, plus a couple that I added, and up to now I've found photos that match up with all her descriptions. (Except for the green polka-dot outfit worn in June '86, which Incas so kindly provided).

But I've been unable to find pictures for polo on June 16 and June 26, 1988. According to Canadiana's list, on June 16 Diana attended polo after Ascot wearing that dove-gray tailcoat. We've all seen it at Ascot, but I've not found a photo at polo.

And on June 26, according to Canadiana, Diana wore a "navy 3/4 length blazer over white round neck blouse and navy & white check skirt, wide navy belt." I don't remember ever seeing this outfit.

Can anyone help?

Thanks very much.

[Incas]

Originally Posted by umbrellagirl

According to Canadiana's list, on June 16 Diana attended polo after Ascot wearing that dove-gray tailcoat. We've all seen it at Ascot, but I've not found a photo at polo.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...dsPoloBlub.jpg
photo from Daily Mirror.

[Incas]

You are welcome, Umbrellagirl. Unfortunately, I have no idea about the 6/26 outfit. I did came across another polo game she went to in 1990. She had on a white cap-sleeve top with pleats down the front and an ankle-length floral print skirt. I don't have a date for it. The photo was in "Diana's Diary" by Andrew Morton.

[Katrianna]

Thanks again Umbrellagirl. I haven't ever seen Diana in the 1988 pictures. The cap could be from the RCMP or it could be one she received from the crew of an aircraft carrier that she and Charles toured when on a visit to the US.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Katrianna

... The cap could be from the RCMP or it could be one she received from the crew of an aircraft carrier that she and Charles toured when on a visit to the US.

The cap in the 2nd pic of post #225 appears to have a crown above the 'badge', so it's probably either British or Commonwealth in origin.

[princessdianafan70]

Thanks Incas for the photo of Diana at polo with the grey coat! Extremely rare photo indeed and the greatest graditute, thank you so much for sharing :)

[umbrellagirl]

Incas, re: the white cap-sleeve blouse and floral print skirt. I have some photos of that event, which was the Badminton Three-Day Event (some kind of horse show, I think). I'm saving them for when I reach 1990. The one in Morton's "Diana's Diary" is from Robin Nunn, so we aren't allowed to post it, but I have others from Hello mag and Majesty mag. Coming up soon!

[umbrellagirl]

Polo, June 29, 1988:



Photos: 1.Charles and Diana: The Tenth Anniversary, by Brian Hoey (no indiv. photographers credited); 2,3, and 4. Tim Graham (APL and gettyimages.com)

[umbrellagirl]

Polo, July 3, 1988 (date provided by Incas):

In the first picture, Diana is holding William's balloon while he shakes hands with Mohammed al-Fayed. (Squidgy posted another photo from this day earlier in this thread --it's now #89 on page 5 -- which shows Dodi Fayed standing near Diana in the seating area.)

I'm assuming that the second pic is from the same day, although it could be from May 28, 1989 (since I found it in a 1991 book). Please correct me if I've dated it wrong.



Photos: 1.Glenn Harvey (in Majesty magazine); 2.Charles and Diana: The Tenth Anniversary, by Brian Hoey

[umbrellagirl]

Polo, July 13, 1988:



Photo: Tim Graham in The Royal Year 1988

[Incas]

Originally Posted by umbrellagirl

Incas, re: the white cap-sleeve blouse and floral print skirt. I have some photos of that event, which was the Badminton Three-Day Event (some kind of horse show, I think).

Thanks for clearing up, Umbrellagirl. It's been awhile since I saw that book. I assumed it was polo, but turned out another horsey event.

[Debbies]

Originally Posted by umbrellagirl

Polo, July 13, 1988:
Photo: Tim Graham in The Royal Year 1988

UmbrellaDiana!!!!! :mrgreen: