Blog

Princess Diana celebrated her 36th birthday living up to her People’s Princess nickname

Princess Diana on July 1, 1997, her final birthday.

Just two months before a tragic car accident took Princess Diana’s life, she spent her final birthday at a gala — but not without taking some time to meet her fans.

The late royal celebrated her 36th birthday on July 1, 1997, in style, attending a gala held in honor of the Tate Gallery’s Centenary in London. Princess Diana stunned in a beaded black gown that she received as a birthday gift from her friend, designer Jacques Azagury, accessorizing with a sparkling choker necklace featuring green stones and matching drop earrings.

Diana also made it clear why she was called “The People’s Princess,” taking time to greet well-wishers who had gathered outside. They showered her with birthday presents, including cards, flowers and a small pink balloon featuring a cartoon bear.

 12 Ways Princess Diana Broke with Tradition and Paved a New Path for the Royal Family

Princess Diana on July 1, 1997, her final birthday. Justin GoffUK Press via Getty Images

“Diana had a genius for people,” her younger brother, Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, previously told PEOPLE. “She could make any person, whether they were the grandest or the most humble feel totally at ease in her company.”

Princess Diana’s final summer was marked by a trip to the U.S., where she gave a speech at a Red Cross-hosted gala for victims of land mines and met Hillary Clinton, and a visit to Bosnia to work with the Land Mine Campaign. She also vacationed in St. Tropez with her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Princess Diana on July 1, 1997, her final birthday.

After spending nine days with Al Fayed vacationing in the French and Italian Rivera, the couple arrived in Paris on August 30. Just a few hours later, both Diana and Dodi were killed in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma road tunnel, driving from the Hotel Ritz Paris to another apartment in the city.

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE‘s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Princess Diana on July 1, 1997, her final birthday.

Diana’s legacy has lived on in her sons, from their charity work to their efforts to keep her memory alive.

“I certainly hope and believe everything I do makes her proud,” Prince Harry told PEOPLE exclusively in April 2022. “In the 12 short years I was lucky enough to have with her, I saw and felt the energy and lift she got from helping others, no matter their background, ailment or status. Her life and theirs was better for it, however short theirs or hers was.”

Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. Getty(2)

He added, “I honor my mother in everything I do. I am my mother’s son.”

More than 3,000 guests attended the couple’s 1981 nuptials, while a record-breaking 750 million people tuned in to watch the royals walk down the aisle on TV

Photo: Anwar Hussein/WireImage

Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding on July 29, 1981, was hailed as the “wedding of the century,” and for good reason. The lavish affair, which took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, cost roughly $48 million (around $156 million today when adjusted for inflation). The nuptials were watched by a record-breaking 750 million people in 74 countries around the world. It also marked the first time that a British citizen married an heir to the throne in 300 years.

Prince Charles announced his engagement to Diana just five months prior to the wedding on Feb. 24, 1981. While Charles told the BBC that he was “delighted and frankly amazed” that Diana was “prepared” to take him on, he upset his future wife when he was asked by the interviewer if they were in love. Diana replied, “Of course,” while Charles said, “Whatever in love means” — a comment she reportedly found “traumatizing.”

Still, their extravagant wedding was seemingly a dream come true for the bride. “I remember being so in love with my husband that I couldn’t take my eyes off him,” she later told Andrew Morton for his 1992 book, Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words. “I just absolutely thought I was the luckiest girl in the world. He was going to look after me.”

She later said in an excerpt from Lady Colin Campbell’s The Real Diana: “It was heaven, amazing, wonderful, though I was so nervous when I was walking up the aisle that I swore my knees would knock and make a noise.”

The groom was also full of optimism, reportedly writing in a letter to a friend, “There were several times when I was perilously close to crying from the sheer joy of it all.”

Diana, who met Charles only 13 times before marrying him, according to a series of private tapes that were recorded in 1992 with her voice coach, Peter Settelen, would later reminisce on her big day a bit differently, reportedly calling it the “worst day of her life.” “If I could write my own script I would have my husband go away with [Camilla Parker Bowles] and never come back,” she reportedly said in the tapes, which were aired in a 2017 documentary titled Diana: In Her Own Words.

Though the pair would ultimately divorce in 1996, just one year ahead of Diana’s untimely death by a car crash, their wedding day lives on in infamy forever. Below, relive every over-the-top moment from the jaw-dropping affair, from the extreme lengths Diana’s wedding dress designers went to keep her gown a secret to the flubs she and Charles made at the altar.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Wedding Registry

Tim Graham Photo Library

Though the New York Times reported that the couple received roughly 3,000 presents between the time of their engagement and their big day, they also had a secret registry, according to Vanity Fair. Approval was needed by Buckingham Palace to view the list at General Trading Company, which reportedly included everything from wine coolers and bed trays to gardening furniture.

In addition to their chosen items, they received several high-profile gifts from important wedding guests, like the engraved Steuben glass bowl they were gifted by the Reagans, the Art Deco clock they got from Cartier and the diamond-and-sapphire parure of a watch, bracelet, pendant, ring and earrings Diana was given by the Crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Wedding Rehearsal

Tim Graham Photo Library

After an hour-long rehearsal of the nuptials at the wedding venue of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the couple danced at a gala ball hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace two nights before their wedding, along with the 1,400 family members and guests in attendance — including Nancy Reagan. A pared-down dinner for 90 followed, after which the group parted ways.

The country’s largest fireworks display in more than two centuries was also held on the eve of the wedding, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to Hyde Park, including Prince Charles, who was on hand to light the first bonfire. The show was accompanied by music from 250 musicians, who played George Handel’s “The Royal Fireworks” song. The New York Times reported that the show was modeled after one held in 1749 that marked the end of the War of the Austrian Succession.

Terry Fincher/Getty

Diana did not join in the celebrations, spending the night at Clarence House with her sisters and bridal party in order to get up for her 6:30 a.m. wedding day call. According to journalist Penny Junor’s book The Duchess: The Untold Story, her future husband sent her a gift from Buckingham Palace in the form of a signet ring bearing his Prince of Wale feathers, along with a sweet note that read, “I am so proud of you and when you come up, I’ll be there at the altar for you tomorrow. Just look ’em in the eye and knock them dead.”

Astrologer Penny Thornton, however, claimed in an ITV documentary that the royal also had an unpleasant confession for his bride-to-be. “One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding Charles told her that he didn’t love her,” Thornton said. “I think Charles didn’t want to go into the wedding on a false premise. He wanted to square it with her and it was devastating for Diana.”

Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Wedding Venue

Tim Graham Photo Library

The pair’s venue choice of St. Paul’s Cathedral marked the first royal affair to be held there since 1501. In addition to its enormous seating (St. Paul’s holds 3,500 wedding guests to Westminster Abbey’s 2,000), Prince Charles gave some insight into the venue choice while speaking to British television networks. According to the royal, the cathedral was chosen in part for its “spectacular” acoustics, which he felt would provide guests with a “stirring, dramatic and noisy” sound. ”If you have something rather quiet, you start hearing your ankles cricking, you know what I mean?” he reportedly asked.

Beyond that, he is said to have reasoned that it had room for an orchestra, a world-famous choir and was “more beautiful” than Westminster Abbey, according to the 1998 book The Real Diana by Lady Colin Campbell.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Wedding Guest List

Bryn Colton/Getty

Among the 3,500 who attended the pair’s nuptials were many world leaders, including Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, Nancy Reagan, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the prince’s parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and Princess Anne and Mark Philips, to name a few.

Also in attendance was Prince Charles’s current wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, though she was not invited to the couple’s more intimate wedding breakfast.

Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

Absent from the service were several family members that were cut from a list of people her father, John Spencer, requested seats for. According to published journals of the late journalist Kenneth Rose, the Princess of Wales “crossed out all the family who had not bothered to come to the weddings of her sisters!” He added, “One day she will be very formidable.”

Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress

Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive

Princess Diana’s gown, which was crafted in the space of three months, was made with ivory silk taffeta that was dyed and woven ivory (instead of pure white) and decorated with ornate, hand-embroidery, with no less than 10,000 micro pearls. Though its massive 25-foot-long train was undoubtedly its defining feature, it also featured puffy sleeves, a ruffled necklace and a gorgeous lace trim, which came from a bag of scraps that was acquired by designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel at auction. As it turns out, the scraps also turned out to have a royal history, as an expert recognized the antique lace from the bodice of dress from the reign of Queen Mary — Prince Charles’s great-grandmother.

“It was all about drama and making Diana a fairytale princess,” designer Elizabeth Emanuel explained to British Vogue. “The gown was typical of early ’80s style — overblown, romantic, flouncy — but we had to get it right because we knew it would go down in history.”

It was also completely the designers’ creation. “There was no red tape, there were no limitations” from the palace,” David told E! News. “We had completely, utterly free reign, and it was down to [Diana], and her alone, that she had the confidence to select Emanuel and to believe in it.”

Beyond its obvious charms, the dress — Diana’s “something new” — featured several special details that couldn’t be seen by the naked eye, including a blue bow inside the bodice (her “something blue”) and a tiny gold horseshoe that was sewn in for good luck. “We only told her on the wedding day,” David told Hello! Magazine of the charm. “She didn’t know about the horseshoe for good luck, [but] she was very touched. She was traditional.”

Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty

Designers Elizabeth and David Emanuel went to great lengths to keep Diana’s dress a secret, deliberately placing bits of unused fabric in the trash for the press to find, according to “Royal Style in the Making” exhibit curator Matthew Storey.

David also confirmed the design for an erroneous sketch of the gown to a Woman’s Wear Daily reporter, who approached him on the morning of the couple’s wedding. “I don’t think they forgave me for one year,” he told E! News of the incident.

As for the real sketch, the designer told Hello! magazine, “As soon as [Diana’s mother] Mrs. Shand Kydd saw it and she loved it, we ripped up the design as we didn’t want people to see it.”

With so much interest in the bride’s wedding gown, designers Elizabeth and David Emanuel prepared a second dress in the event that the original was leaked ahead of schedule.

“At the time we wanted to make absolutely sure that the dress was a surprise,” Elizabeth told PEOPLE in 2011. “Had the secret of the real dress got out it’s possible that Diana would actually have worn this one.”

Princess Diana’s Wedding Tiara

Princess Diana on her wedding day. Lichfield/Getty

For her “something borrowed,” Princess Diana had her pick of options, as Queen Elizabeth II offered to lend her the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot tiara that has since been worn by Kate Middleton. She ultimately chose her family’s own Spencer tiara, which was worn by her sisters, Lady Sarah and Lady Jane, for their weddings, as well as her former sister-in-law, Victoria Lockwood, who wore it for her nuptials to Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer.

The piece itself also has its roots in history, as it’s comprised of several pieces of jewelry, including end pieces from a bauble of Viscountess Frances Manby. The central part, meanwhile, comes from a wedding present that was given to Diana’s grandma, Lady Cynthia Hamilton, on her wedding day to Albert Spencer.

Unfortunately for Diana, it also caused her a bit of pain. As her brother revealed to ET in 2010, “I just remember she had a cracking headache too because she wasn’t used to wearing a tiara all morning.”

Charles Spencer is the current owner of the tiara and was most recently exhibited by Sotheby’s for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, along with roughly 40 other royal and aristocratic tiaras.

Princess Diana’s Wedding Flowers

Princess Diana and Prince Charles on their wedding day. Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images

Like her dress designers, Princess Diana’s florist was prepared in the event of a disaster, making not one, but two bouquets of gardenias, tephanotis, odontolglossum orchid, lily of the valley, Earl Mountbatten roses, freesia, veronica, ivy, myrtle and trasdescantia.

Florist David Longman told Express that after Queen Elizabeth lost the flowers during her own wedding, she started the tradition of having two identical bouquets made to prevent a similar mishap.

“We made two bouquets,” head florist David Longman revealed to Express. “The first one had to be delivered at 8 o’clock to Buckingham Palace,” he said. “We had a police escort motorcyclist who took us all through the city to the Palace. Then we came back, and by that time they had finished the second bouquet and back we went again.”

Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Wedding Party

RR Auction/Splash News Online

The royal couple’s wedding party was made up of two pageboys (Lord Nicholas Windsor and Edward van Cutsem) and five bridesmaids, including Diana’s niece, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (now Chatto), Diana’s favorite former student, Clementine Hambro, Charles’s goddaughter, India Hicks, Catherine Cameron and Sarah-Jane Gaselee. “Each bridesmaid had been chosen for personal reasons of the bride and groom,” Hicks would later explain to Harper’s Bazaar.

According to Penny Junor’s book The Duchess: Camila Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown, Parker Bowles’s son, Tom Parker Bowles, who is Charles’s godson, was vetoed from the wedding party by Diana. “She agreed to several of his other godchildren, but there was a big scene about Tom Parker Bowles and Charles backed down,” the book stated.

The bridal attendants dressed in outfits similar to Diana, with taffeta satin, lace trim and yellow sashes. Hambro, then 5, and Cameron, 6, were the youngest of the group, and also wore flower crowns to match their bouquets.

At one point, Hambro, the great-grandaughter of Winston Churchill, had a misstep, falling and bursting into tears. She later recalled to TODAY that Diana asked her if she “bumped her bottom,” to which she replied, “No, I bumped my head.”

Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Wedding Ceremony

Anwar Hussein/Getty

Diana walked down the aisle on the arm of her father, Earl Edward John Spencer, despite the unsteadiness he faced from a stroke he had suffered three years prior.

While it was Charles who was keen on having music be a big part of his nuptials (“I’ve always longed to have a musical wedding,” he said in a TV interview per the Washington Post), both the bride and groom selected the songs for their ceremony. From him, Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” and the hymn “Christ Has Made the Sure Foundation,” which the prince said that he chose because of its “most marvelous melody.” As for Diana, she chose “I Vow to Thee My Country,” which she said was always a favorite of hers “since school days.”

The Princess of Wales broke from tradition when she decided to leave the word “obey” out of her vows to Prince Charles from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, which dates back to 1662. “Lady Diana has chosen to follow the new ritual of the Church of England, and she will promise in the ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral only to ‘love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health,’ the New York Times reported ahead of the pair’s nuptials.

Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty

According to the paper, the decision was one the couple made together after “very serious” discussions with Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie.

Despite their careful planning, the royal couple’s vow recital didn’t exactly go swimmingly. Diana accidentally referred to Prince Charles, whose full name is Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, as Prince Philip Charles. Charles, for his part, mistakenly offered Diana “thy goods” instead of the more traditional “my worldly goods.”

The couple honored a then-58-year-long tradition when Prince Charles presented his bride with a Welsh gold ring from the Clogau St. David’s mine — a practice that was started by the Queen Mother in her marriage to King George VI.

Tim Graham Photo Library

After exchanging their vows, the couple was taken back to Buckingham Palace by way of a State Landau carriage that dated back to 1902, which was first used by King Edward VIII during his coronation procession through London. The same carriage would later transport Prince William and Kate Middleton from their wedding venue of Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.

600,000 spectators lined the streets of London to catch a glimpse of them as they passed by.

In addition to the verbal flubs both Charles and Diana made, the groom forgot to kiss his bride following their vow exchange. To make up for it, the royal couple gave the people a show by sharing a very public kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace—a tradition that would later be followed by Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Wedding Reception

David Levenson/Getty

Before the couple jetted off for their honeymoon, they celebrated their monumental moment with a far smaller group of loved ones: Just 120 of the cathedral’s 3,500 guests were invited to the gathering at Buckingham Palace. There, they were treated to an epic feast that included such lavish dishes as brill in lobster sauce and Suprême de Volaille Princesse de Galles, a play on a chicken breast stuffed with lamb mousse, wrapped in brioche and topped off with Madeira sauce and asparagus tips. It was named for Diana herself, who loved chicken.

​​The couple had not one, not two, but a whopping 27 wedding cakes for guests to enjoy at their intimate breakfast ceremony, with the main cake measuring a towering five feet high and bearing the coat of arms of both the bride and groom, along with their initials and a sprinkling of roses, lilies of the valley and orchids. Created by the head baker at the Royal Naval Cookery School, David Avery, it had five pentagon-shaped tiers, with Roman columns separating each one. All in all, it weighed 200 pounds, according to Eater, but if guests didn’t get their fill, there were 26 other cakes from royal wedding watchers to enjoy.

Though the couple’s first dance song is unknown, they reportedly enjoyed music from jazz and pop bandleader Lester Lanin and his orchestra to kick off their wedding reception. Lanin also performed at Princess Grace Kelly’s wedding to Prince Rainier III engagement party.

Following the excitement, Diana shared a sweet moment with her nearest and dearest. “As soon as the cake had been cut, Diana, her sisters, Sarah, the younger bridesmaids and I disappeared upstairs to help her change into her pink going-away outfit, designed by David Sassoon of Bellville Sassoon,” Hicks recalled to Harper’s Bazaar, adding, “The mood was girly and giggly.”

July 29, 1981: Charles and Princess Diana leave for their honeymoon. Serge Lemoine/Hulton Archive/Getty

The British author said that the new royal also gave them a sweet parting gift. “Diana thanked us and gave us each a kiss and a present: a pretty gold-rimmed Halcyon Days china box. Inside were two of the silkworms that had spun the silk for her wedding dress.”

From there, she said goodbye to the rest of her guests and climbed into an open landau carriage, which Prince Charles’s brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, had decorated with a “just married” sign.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Wedding Legacy

Prince Philip at the 1981 royal wedding of Charles and Diana.

Beyond breaking the world record for amassing the largest TV audience for a wedding, Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s nuptials would have a lasting effect on wedding trends going forward. “It inspired girls all around the world to have their very own fairytale day. Soon after, punch-bowl receptions went by the wayside and were replaced by lavish receptions, elaborate dresses and even tiaras,” wedding publicist Leila Lewis told Hello! magazine in 2019.

Added wedding expert Cornelia Powell: “It put a new era of fancy wedding hoopla into motion: elaborate designer gowns; a return of the status wedding celebration; staged over-the-top productions and celebrity weddings as media spectacles.”

Beckham previously shared in his Netflix docuseries that he thought he had 88 tattoos but found out he had a few more

David Beckham shares look at his new tattoo. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/Getty;David Beckham/Instagram

David Beckham is adding some new ink to his ever-growing collection!

The former soccer player, 49, revealed that he recently got a new graphic tattoo from one of his go-to-artists — London-based Certified Letter Boy — and shared shots of the new addition inked on the side of a leg below his knee.

On his Instagram Stories, he showed a snap of the tattoo artist inking an outline of two hands pressed together in a prayer position. He wrote under the picture, “Thanks mate x.”

In a follow-up photo, he showed a closeup of the new tattoo, which featured several details including knuckle and palm lines, nails and shadow detailing. He tagged the tattoo artist and wrote a white heart emoji underneath showing some appreciation for him.

A close-up photo of David Beckham’s prayer hands tattoo on his lower leg.David Beckham/Instagram

Cruz Beckham Pays Tribute to His Famous Mom’s Spice Girls Past with a Posh New Tattoo

Certified Letter Boy posted more photos of Beckham, captioning his Instagram post with, “Praying hands tattoo for the main man. ”Thank you for the trust, DB 🫶🏻

The latest ink inches Beckham one step closer to 100 tattoos, as film director Fisher Stevens had previously shared in the Netflix docuseries Beckham that the British athlete had already been close to that number.

“At the time, I asked, ‘How many tattoos do you have?’ He said, ‘I have 88,’ ” Stevens recalled.

However, over the course of shooting the docuseries, Stevens said they discovered that Beckham had at least “six more” tattoos that he hadn’t included in his initial number. When he asked him about the reason behind “why” he had so many tattoos, the director recalled that Beckham told him, “I just like them.”

“I go, ‘Is there some form of self-torture?’ And he said, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ I thought so,” he added.

David and Victoria Beckham in 2018.Joe Maher/BFC/Getty Images

Brooklyn Peltz-Beckham Reveals Huge Tattoo Portrait of Wife Nicola: ‘Very Addictive’

In September 2023, he revealed he got the word “Posh” written in cursive inked in on the lower part of his middle finger, right next to the finger on which he wears a gold wedding band in honor of his wife, Victoria Beckham, who was Posh Spice in the Spice Girls.

He also has another tribute for his wife in the form of a “Victoria” tattoo on his arm, plus the names of the four children he and the fashion designer share: Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 22, Cruz, 19 and Harper, 13. He even had a tattoo design hand drawn by Harper, which he shared in 2017.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

He previously told The Sun that “any of the tattoos I’ve got are of the family.”

The rest of his tattoos are of inspirational messages including “Dream big, be unrealistic,” “In the face of adversity” and “Let them hate as long as they fear,” among others.

A split image of Charles Spencer Prince Harry and Prince Harry and William

Prince Harry and Prince William’s uncle, Charles Spencer, made an ultra-rare comment about the brothers’ ongoing ‘rift’ on Friday during a special charity initiative for the Diana Award.

The singers from Rock Choir – the world’s largest contemporary choir – recorded a special single at Althorp House that will be released in October in honour of 25 years of the charity.

During the recording, Charles opened up about his nephews’ support of their late mother’s charity, despite reportedly not being on good terms. He told ITV’s Chris Ship: “They both recognise this is something of their mother’s and they both support that, and that’s all that really matters in this situation,” he said of the royal brothers.

He also stated: “It’s really extraordinary for me, as her brother, to think of the impact Diana continues to have, and it’s a source of great family pride for us that, yes, she has been gone for over a quarter of a century now.

Harry and Charles have maintained a close relationship since the Duke’s move to the US in 2020 (Getty)
“And a lot of the Diana Award winners I’ve met over the past quarter of a century are so intrigued by what she did, and they are inspired to give life a go in a really good direction.”

Both Harry and William attended the most recent award ceremony back in March, with Prince Harry dialling in virtually from his home in Montecito after his brother had left.

Following Harry’s departure from the UK in 2020, Charles, the ninth Earl Spencer, has maintained a close relationship with the Duke of Sussex.

At the beginning of the month, Harry stayed at Althorp House during his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes’ funeral according to PEOPLE.

Harry stayed at Althorp earlier this month (David Goddard)
Harry shared his feelings about his uncle’s estate and childhood home to his late mother in his bombshell memoir Spare, when he recalled visiting the Northamptonshire property with his wife, Meghan Markle.

“Uncle Charles came down to the water’s edge and gave us a little shove. We waved to him and to my two aunts. Bye. See you in a bit.

“Gliding across the pond, I gazed around at Althorp’s rolling fields and ancient trees, the thousands of green acres where my mother grew up, and where, though things weren’t perfect, she’d known some peace.”

On the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death, Harry and Meghan rowed over to Diana’s final resting place on the vast oval lake, which is not open to the public. After leaving Meghan for a moment alone, Harry explained: “When I returned, she was on her knees with her eyes closed and her palms flat against the stone.”

Charles and Lady Jane supported Harry back in May at a special service at St Paul’s Cathedral (Max Mumby/Indigo)
Charles was also one of the only family members to support Harry at a special service marking the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games back in May.

Charles was joined by his sister – Harry’s aunt – Lady Jane Fellowes, as well as Harry’s cousins George McCorquodale, Ned Spencer, and Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp.

Former England football captain David Beckham has said filming the Netflix documentary series of his life “made me feel uncomfortable” as he praised director Fisher Stevens for bringing “something different out in me”.

Speaking at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London Conference, Beckham was asked by presenter Jane Featherstone how he could make an “authentic documentary” about himself with his Studio 99 firm.

Beckham said director Fisher Stevens and other “great people” working with him had made it possible.

The former footballer also spoke about the upcoming documentary on his wife Victoria (Ian West/PA)
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid winger said: “Fisher made me feel uncomfortable from the moment we sat down to talk to the moment I finished.

“And I really needed that because I needed a director to come at it from a different angle.

“You know, everyone kind of knows my career and my life and things like that.

“So I needed someone like him to bring something different out in me.

“I never saw any other clips. I never saw anything until the moment I watched it at the premiere.

“It was quite emotional, but it was just one of those things that I knew that I was going to make, and if I was going to make it, I was going to make it once.

“But it was special, it was a special, special time.”

Beckham also spoke about a new Netflix series his studio was working on, on the life of his wife Victoria, which he will be the producer on.

The 49-year-old said: “I’m really excited about this one with Victoria, because she is an amazing woman.

“She is a strong, driven, passionate person that has gone from being a Spice Girl, as you you all know, and to be respected in this industry is very tough.

“It’s very tough, and she’s worked hard for the last 17, 18 years on her business, and all of a sudden she’s having the success that she really deserves, and no one really sees what she does.

“No one really sees the amount of work that she puts in, she’s over everything from where people sit at the show to what they wear, to everything that goes into her business.

“She’s over every single piece, and I want people to see that.

“It was hard to convince her to to do this, but I think she’d been such a big part of the process with Netflix, and she was like, I love these people, and I love the way they work, and if we can work in this way, and we can do this, so it’s an exciting time.

“I think she’s going to do something that’s very special, and people are going to see her personality and just her work ethic.”

Victoria rose to fame as part of the Spice Girls, and was known as Posh Spice, and later embarked on a solo music career in the 2000s before launching her own fashion label.

The couple have been married since 1999, and the Netflix documentary Beckham enjoyed a viral moment when David was filmed interrupting Victoria talking about her childhood to instruct her to “be honest” and admit that her father drove a Rolls-Royce.

Former footballer David, who owns MLS franchise Inter Miami, also spoke about setting up Studio 99, which he said was something he had “always had in mind” while playing, and added that making documentaries was something he had “always enjoyed” after his professional football retirement.

He said: “When I retired, which is 11 years ago, from playing I made two documentaries and it was Into The Unknown, For The Love Of The Game.

“And I love the process, so setting up the studio was something I always had in mind.”

Beckham’s Studio 99 has produced documentaries including 99, about Manchester United’s treble-winning season, Beckham, a documentary about himself, and Ronnie O’Sullivan The Edge Of Everything.

Victoria Beckham showed off her washboard abs as she worked up a sweat in her home gym on Monday.

The former Spice Girl, 50, looked sensational as she took to her Instagram Story to share the workout snap.

Victoria’s toned abdomen was on full display in the snap as she sported a pair of black high-waisted leggings with a Nike sports bra.

She had thrown a white towel around her shoulders and was also seen wearing a pair of fingerless gloves.

For the snap, fashion designer Victoria stood on her home gym’s very own catwalk as she snapped a mirror selfie.

+6

Victoria Beckham showed off her washboard abs on Instagram as she worked up a sweat in her home gym on Monday

Earlier this month, Victoria again looked fit as she put her abs and slender figure on display in a pair of black leggings and a matching tiny bra.

The fashion designer finished off her sporty look with a pair of white socks and white trainers and slicked her hair back in a low ponytail.

Victoria couldn’t contain her giggles at the addition to her home and she updated her 33 million Instagram followers about her new catwalk.

In the clip, which she posted to her Instagram Story, she gave fans a glimpse into her gym.

As she filmed herself in the mirror she said: ‘Okay so I’m very excited because someone has put a catwalk in my gym.

‘I mean how cool is this? I literally have a catwalk in the gym.’

The star then chuckled before whispering to herself: ‘Oh my god’.

+6

Earlier this month, Victoria again looked fit as she put her abs and slender figure on display in a pair of black leggings and a matching tiny bra

+6

Victoria couldn’t contain her giggles at the addition to her home and she shared her update with her 33million Instagram followers in a video

Victoria Beckham shows off abs and catwalk in home gym

Victoria has since lifted the lid on her marriage to England legend David for a new Disney+ documentary.

In a new docuseries In Vogue: The 90s, she revealed how her husband David bought a brand new Prada suit just to ‘impress her’ on their first date after she said she liked the brand.

Gushing about her love for designer clothes, Victoria recalled: ‘Versace, Prada, and Gucci, they were my go-to designers. What was it they were getting right at the time? I suppose they really understood the power of celebrity.

‘The Italians embraced that. When I first met David in 1997 he’d heard that I was the Spice Girl that liked the designer clothes.’

Victoria told the camera: ‘So, after me going to a couple of football matches and I would say, you know, me sort of like, pursuing him, he’d probably say me stalking him, we arranged to go out on a date together.

‘He’s like, “I don’t know what to wear, she’s the one who likes designer clothes,” and so he actually went out and bought himself a full Prada look for our first date, to impress me.’

+6

Victoria has since revealed how her husband David bought a brand new Prada suit just to ‘impress her’ on their first date

+6

She opened up about the beginning of their relationship in an episode of the new documentary In Vogue: The 90s, which started streaming on Friday on Disney+(pictured in 2001)

Laughing, she added: ‘Which it did, because it was Prada.’

Elsewhere in the highly-anticipated new documentary, Victoria revealed how she copied Linda Evangelista after becoming ‘completely obsessed’ with the supermodel.

She explained that she became so interested in the 90s icon that she went to the same salon Linda used and even emulated her haircut.

She said: ‘[Linda] was the reason why I cut my hair, the reason why I dyed my hair lots of different colours. I was in New York, and I went to Garren, who was Linda’s hairdresser.

‘When he cut all my hair off. I was channelling my inner Linda.’

Victoria Beckham revealed her love for fashion started when she was a child in new Disney+ documentary In Vogue: The 90s.

In Vogue: The 90s invites viewers to go behind the curtains of the 1990s’ most defining fashion moments with numerous big names – including the very ones who made the moments happen.

The final episode of the doc sees Victoria, 50, opening up about what began her love of fashion, which would eventually lead to her becoming a world-renowned designer.

The Spice Girl shared: ‘When I was a little girl I lived in Hertfordshire. I loved brands, I loved the idea of luxury.

‘My mum’s friend used to wear a lot of Chanel fragrance. When she finished it she would drain the bottle and give it to me I used to put them all out on my window because I loved how they looked.

+4

Victoria Beckham revealed her love for fashion started when she was a child in new Disney+ documentary In Vogue: The 90s

+4

Victoria recalled: ‘My mum’s friend used to wear a lot of Chanel fragrance. When she finished it she would drain the bottle and give it to me I used to put them all out on my window’

‘I remember one time she gave me the empty bottles in a plastic Gucci carrier bag. I would carry my school books in this Gucci carrier bag every day until the bottom fell out. I felt so special.’

Victoria added: ‘In the Mama video I was wearing a pair of Tom Ford Gucci trousers and there was a slit detail in the trousers, and a little bikini top. It was sexy for a video I was in with my mum, which was bizarre but it didn’t matter, because it was Gucci’

The fashion designer opened up about the beginning of her relationship with husband David Beckham, 49.

She began: ‘Versace, Prada, and Gucci, they were my go-to designers. What was it they were getting right at the time? I suppose they really understood the power of celebrity.

‘The Italians embraced that. When I first met David in 1997 he’d heard that I was the Spice Girl that liked the designer clothes.’

She added: ‘So, after me going to a couple of football matches and I would say, you know, me sort of like, pursuing him, he’d probably say me stalking him, we arranged to go out on a date together.

‘He’s like, “I don’t know what to wear, she’s the one who likes designer clothes,” and so he actually went out and bought himself a full Prada look for our first date, to impress me.’

Laughing, she added: ‘Which it did, because it was Prada.’

In Vogue: The 90s: Vol. II, episodes 4 to 6, will be premiere on Disney+ on Friday

+4

Victoria also revealed how David bought a brand new Prada suit just to ‘impress her’ on their first date

Victoria Beckham shows off abs and catwalk in home gym

Victoria and David share three children: Harper Seven, 13, Cruz, 19, Romeo, 22, and Brooklyn, 25.

Romeo turned 22 on September 1, and his family threw him a lavish second birthday party at London restaurant Ambassadors Clubhouse.

An 80-strong crowd transformed the Punjabi-themed restaurant it into their own private nightclub.

Big brother Brooklyn sent his apologies.

Victoria Beckham made sure to put on a chic display as she visited her London boutique with her mum Jackie Adams on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, David, 49, enjoyed the BOSS fashion show during Milan Fashion Week where he was seen catching up with his high profile pal Anna Wintour.

Sharing an update to her Instagram Story, Victoria, 50, wrapped an arm around her mum and posed for a mirror selfie.

The fashion designer looked as stylish as ever in a slinky black top that she teamed with a ruched leather mini skirt.

Jackie opted for a satin blouse, with a pair of smart trousers and a matching blazer draped loosely over her shoulders.

+9

Victoria Beckham, 50, made sure to put on a chic display as she visited her London boutique with her mum Jackie Adams on Wednesday

+9

Elsewhere, David enjoyed at the BOSS fashion show during Milan Fashion Week where he was seen catching up with his high profile pal Anna Wintour

David Beckham and Boris Becker enjoy BOSS fashion show

In Milan, David, 49, cut a smart figure as he opted for a navy suit and matching polo neck jumper.

He took his seat on the front row next to Vogue fashion icon Anna, 74, with the pair deep in conversation as they waited for the show to begin.

Anna looked effortlessly chic as she opted for a wine-coloured red floor length leather jacket.

Underneath the leather ensemble she wore a blue and white brushstroke patterned dress and her signature Chanel sunglasses.

It’s not the first time the pair have been seen together, after they last posed together at the Beckham documentary screening in New York City back in May.

Anna also sat front row beside David at his wife Victoria’s fashion show last September as she unveiled her latest collection.

Brooklyn, his wife Nicola Peltz, Cruz and Harper joined their dad on the front row for the ex-Spice Girl’s Parisian parade, along with Vogue editor-in-chief herself.

Discussing her and David’s shared love of fashion, Victoria recently revealed how the sportsman bought a brand new Prada suit just to ‘impress her’ on their first date after she said she liked the brand.

+9

Sharing an update to her Instagram Story, Victoria wrapped an arm around her mum and posed for a mirror selfie

+9

The fashion designer looked as stylish as ever in a slinky black top that she teamed with a ruched leather mini skirt

Victoria Beckham unveils and demonstrates her new concealer pen

+9

In Milan, David, 49, cut a smart figure as he opted for a navy suit and matching polo neck jumper as he took his seat on the front row next to Vogue fashion icon Anna, 74

+9

+9

David completed the all navy look with some black shiny brogues

The fashion designer opened up about the beginning of their relationship in an episode of the new documentary In Vogue: The 90s, which started streaming on Friday on Disney+.

Gushing about her love for designer clothes, she recalled: ‘Versace, Prada, and Gucci, they were my go-to designers. What was it they were getting right at the time? I suppose they really understood the power of celebrity.

‘The Italians embraced that. When I first met David in 1997 he’d heard that I was the Spice Girl that liked the designer clothes.’

The former Spice Girl told the camera: ‘So, after me going to a couple of football matches and I would say, you know, me sort of like, pursuing him, he’d probably say me stalking him, we arranged to go out on a date together.

‘He’s like, “I don’t know what to wear, she’s the one who likes designer clothes,” and so he actually went out and bought himself a full Prada look for our first date, to impress me. Which it did, because it was Prada.’

Victoria Beckham looked the picture of glamour as she posed up for behind the scenes snaps while filming her upcoming documentary on Friday.

The former Spice Girl, 50, took to Instagram to treat fans to pictures of herself getting made up on set.

In one photo, she put on a leggy display in a customised silky dressing gown, which featured her initials embroidered onto the pocket.

Victoria quipped: ‘Why not it’s the weekend,’ as she got pampered by her stylists while enjoying a glass of fizz.

Another picture posted to her story showed the business owner looking elegant in a pastel pink gown as the finishing touches were made to her outfit.

+9

Victoria Beckham looked the picture of glamour as she posed up for behind the scenes snaps while filming her upcoming documentary on Friday

+9

The former Spice Girl, 50, took to Instagram to treat fans to pictures of herself getting dolled up on set

The mother-of-four also shared a snap of filming equipment as she revealed she was working on her upcoming project.

Posh is filming a documentary about her fashion brand after landing a huge deal with Netflix.

The former Spice Girl will share an insight into her working life after the success of husband David’s, 49, BAFTA and Emmy-nominated docuseries BECKHAM with the streamer.

Victoria will delve deep into her fashion brand in the documentary and follow her journey as she prepares for Paris Fashion Week next year.

Her new documentary will offer a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at her journey from becoming a Spice Girl to a creative director of her successful fashion and beauty brand.

The sneak peek comes just after she unveiled a new beauty product from her brand as she gave fans a tutorial on how to achieve perfect skin.

Victoria took to Instagram last week to share the news of her new Concealer Pen from her brand.

She hailed the new product – a concealer that doubles up as skincare – as she claimed the ‘first of its kind’ product has ‘blown my mind’.

+9

The mother-of-four also shared a snap of filming equipment as she revealed she was working on her upcoming Netflix documentary

+9

The shoot comes just after she unveiled a new beauty product from her brand as she gave fans a tutorial on how to achieve perfect skin

+9

+9

She hailed the new product – a concealer that doubles up as skincare – as she claimed the ‘first of its kind’ product has ‘blown my mind’

Victoria Beckham unveils and demonstrates her new concealer pen

Victoria shared a video of herself in a white bathrobe and towel turban as she showed fans how to apply the product.

She wrote: ‘The first of its kind, I have noticed such a difference in my skin, and now we have the clinical results to prove it.

‘It contains the Professor’s TFC8®️ active ingredients, so it not only provides effortless coverage, but also revitalises the skin. The more you use, the less you actually need!’

It’s been a busy day for Victoria, who earlier on Friday proved she hadn’t been blessed with Brooklyn’s cooking skills when she suffered a kitchen ‘disaster’.

The fashion designer had attempted to treat daughter Harper, 13, to a delicious breakfast of fresh pancakes.

+9

It’s been a busy day for Victoria, who earlier on Friday proved she hadn’t been blessed with Brooklyn’s cooking skills when she suffered a kitchen ‘disaster’

+9

Filming the results of her hard work, she revealed: ‘I tried to make pancakes this morning, didn’t quite work out, especially this one’

Yet unfortunately she managed to mess up the recipe, resulting in a pancake/omelette ‘hybrid.’

Filming the results of her hard work, she revealed: ‘I tried to make pancakes this morning, didn’t quite work out, especially this one.’

Victoria continued: ‘I’m such a disaster in the kitchen but I did try. I need some practise!’

Sharing results of the finished product she quipped: ‘It was sort of a hybrid pancake/omelette. Harper was in for a real treat this morning.’

 There has been a jaw dropping twist in the saga with King Charles III and Queen Camilla reportedly reduced to tears as Princess Anne Prince William stage surprise move The royal family are said to be reeling from the development, with wider ramifications that have caused deep anguish for both the monarch and his wife.

 

 

All the drama erupted after rumors sparked that Princess Anne and Prince William came to a shocking conclusion, what has apparently gone on to alter how things in royal family work.  Details of the move remain somewhat murky, but sources indicate that it involved a significant shift in royal duties or a public stance that was at odds with the expectations and plans of King Charles and Camilla.

According to insiders, the move by Anne and William was perceived as a direct challenge to King Charles’s authority and vision for the monarchy. The decision, which has been described as a dramatic departure from established royal protocols, has reportedly left Charles and Camilla feeling betrayed and heartbroken.

The reaction from King Charles and Camilla has been one of deep emotional distress, with the couple reportedly struggling to come to terms with the implications of this unexpected development. The tears shed by the monarch and his wife reflect the gravity of the situation and the strain it has placed on their relationship with other members of the royal family.

The nature of Princess Anne and Prince William’s move has sparked widespread speculation and intrigue, with many wondering about the motivations behind their actions and the potential fallout for the royal family. The incident has highlighted ongoing tensions within the monarchy and has raised questions about the future direction of the royal family under King Charles’s reign.

As the situation continues to unfold, royal watchers and the public will be keenly observing the responses from both sides and the impact of this dramatic turn of events on the royal family’s public image and internal relationships. The emotional turmoil experienced by King Charles and Camilla underscores the personal and political complexities that come with leading the British monarchy.