Seen for the first time, photos that show Diana’s secret ballet school visits
AS a child she dreamt of being a classical dancer, modelling herself on the great ballerinas of the age. But despite her youthful promise, honed by hours of practise on the polished floors of Althorp, the family home, Princess Diana’s ambition was thwarted by growing too tall – and a teenage skiing accident.
She did, however, never lose her love of ballet and it remained a passion for the rest of her life.
Just how much it meant to her is revealed in a unique collection of photographs of Diana’s visits – both public and private – to the London City Ballet.
From 1983 until her divorce from the Prince of Wales in 1996, when she relinquished most of her charities, the princess presided over glittering occasions around the world for the modest troupe, the first ballet company she patronised.
It was Harold King, a diminutive South African-born choreographer, who charmed Diana into joining his independent company.
And it is his photographs of their collaboration, which only came to light after his death aged 70 last year, that are being sold by Colchester-based auctioneers Reeman Dansie, which specialises in royal memorabilia.
The pictures offer a fascinating glimpse into Diana’s enduring attachment to the company and her unfailing support for King, whose breezy, classless personality she adored. Thanks to her, the ballet’s galas frequently boasted stars from the world of dance and royalty – including the King and Queen of Norway and Queen Noor of Jordan. Indeed, it was Diana that conceived a plan to help propel it from a tiny cash-strapped company to one with an international reputation.
When their version of Carmen was staged in Oslo in 1985, Diana made a point of visiting. On her return to Britain she dropped a bombshell – she was pregnant with Prince Harry.
As King recalled: ‘She timed the announcement very carefully, knowing that the most recent photographs would be of her with us in Norway. The newspapers scrambled to get them to see if the pregnancy was showing yet.’
Whenever she had a spare moment she would drop in to the ballet’s Covent Garden studio.
‘She squatted down on the floor and talked to all the dancers. She accepted coffee in a paper cup,’ said King, who first invited her with a simple phone call to Buckingham Palace. ‘All the other ballet companies were green with envy.’
After her wedding, Diana hired dance coach Anne Allen to teach her at Kensington Palace. In 1985 she danced at the Royal Opera House to pop hit Uptown Girl. At 5ft 11in, the princess towered over partner Wayne Sleep, 5ft 2in.