John Travolta tells of ‘storybook moment’ he danced with Diana

Former US First Lady Nancy Reagan was instrumental in arranging John Travolta’s 1985 dance with the Princess of Wales, telling the actor it was Diana’s “fantasy” to be whisked around the floor by him.

The Saturday Night Fever star was a guest at a White House dinner during a visit by the Prince and Princess of Wales, and had considered himself “an extra in a room full of very important people” until Nancy approached him.

Recalling the moment for the US TV special In Their Own Words: Diana, Princess

of Wales, the 67-year-old actor said: “About ten o’clock at night, Nancy Reagan tapped on my shoulder and said: ‘The Princess – her fantasy is to dance with you. Would you like to dance with her tonight?’ And I said: ‘Well, of course.’”

It was agreed that Nancy would escort him over to Diana around midnight so he could ask her to join him on the dancefloor.

John continued: “My heart starts to race, you know, and I tap her on the shoulder and she turns around and looks at me.

“And she had that kind of bashful dip [of her chin] that she did and she looked up at me and I said: ‘Would you care to dance with me?’

“The whole room cleared,” he added. “It was a storybook moment.

“We bowed when it was over and, you know, she was off and I was off and my carriage turned into a pumpkin.”