Princess Diana enjoyed a diverse music taste, favoring '80s pop and rock with favorites including Duran Duran, Elton John, George Michael, Dire Straits, and Rod Stewart, while also appreciating ballads like Chris de Burgh's "The Lady in Red" and Phil Collins' "Separate Lives". She connected with contemporary artists and found comfort in music, even singing along to Tina Turner's "The Best" with her sons in the car.
Additionally, Diana was known to be a fan of classical music, and particularly enjoyed the works of composer Giuseppe Verdi.
And ABBA was her favourite band.
Diana was known to be a huge fan of Swedish pop group ABBA. The Duchess of Cambridge and and Prince William honoured Diana in a subtle way by playing some of ABBA's music at their wedding party in 2011.
"Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose" was a new recording of "Candle in the Wind", with new lyrics, written and recorded as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales who had died in an auto crash on 31 August 1997.
Princess Diana – “The Prince of Denmark's March”
When Diana walked down the aisle of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1981, it was to Jeremiah Clarke's "Prince of Denmark's March"—a bold, stately piece that perfectly matched her royal status.
Greatest. Princess Diana had long professed to being a massive fan of Duran Duran.
I omitted obey from my vows.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (then Sophie Rhys-Jones) did not attend Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, reportedly because her strong resemblance to Diana would have been too upsetting for the grieving crowds, a decision made thoughtfully by Sophie herself. At the time, she was dating Prince Edward, but they were not yet engaged or married.
Elton John, close friend of Diana, performed a rewritten version of his 1973 song 'Candle in the Wind' in dedication to the Princess of Wales. The lyrics of the opening line were changed from 'Goodbye Norma Jean' to 'Goodbye England's rose'.
Diana quietly told Michael that “Dirty Diana” was her favorite song. Out of respect for her royal status, Michael had removed the song from the setlist, thinking it would be inappropriate to perform it in front of the Princess of Wales.
At one point, Diana called Queen Elizabeth “sobbing,” as we learned in the 2017 documentary Diana: In Her Own Words. It's because of this close-knit bond that Queen Elizabeth allowed Princess Diana to call her “Mama.”
Just taking a moment to remember that according to the latest YouGov poll, The Prince and Princess of Wales continue to be the most popular Royals. The Prince of Wales is the most popular with a 75% approval rating and is closely followed by The Princess of Wales with a 72% 👑🇬🇧 .
Princess Margaret didn't bow to Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral primarily due to a deep-seated resentment stemming from Diana's 1995 tell-all Panorama interview, which Margaret saw as a severe betrayal of the Royal Family and the Queen; Margaret never forgave Diana for publicly airing grievances and challenging royal decorum, viewing her as a disloyal figure, leading to her snub during the funeral procession despite their initially warm relationship.
In the final years of her life, Princess Diana thought she had found “the one.” Friends say Diana referred to Pakistani-born cardiac surgeon Hasnat Khan as the “love of her life,” and her former butler revealed that she called Khan her soulmate.
While there's no single "most popular" song, Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and traditional hymns like "Amazing Grace" consistently rank among the top choices, often joined by songs of love and loss such as Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven," Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings," and modern hits like Robbie Williams' "Angels", reflecting personal tributes and universal themes of remembrance, gratitude, and hope for peace.
Diana was wearing a ring given to her by Dodi Fayed when she died. It was a £3,000 Bulgari yellow gold band with diamonds. The diamond band set in yellow gold was not an engagement ring and was worn on the fourth finger of her right hand, where her butler Paul Burrell advised her to wear it.
In these moments, Diana would often keep her chin tucked and her head slightly down, making it harder for the photographers to get a clear shot. This subtle act helped her regain some control over her public image and shielded her from the overwhelming exposure that came with being part of the royal family.
"Dirty Diana" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It is the ninth track on Jackson's seventh studio album, Bad (1987). The song was released by Epic Records on April 18, 1988, as the fifth single from the album.
Fun Fact: Princess Diana was a big Duran Duran fan, but in her memoirs she wrote that the Tamarack Ridge Band in North Idaho was actually her favorite musical act. She enjoyed listening to streaming at home. You can Google it. It's true.
There's no single "number one song of all time" as it depends on the criteria (sales, streams, cultural impact, critics' choice), but top contenders include The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" (most streamed on Spotify), Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" (Rolling Stone's pick for greatest), and songs like The Beatles' "Yesterday", Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You", or Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" often cited for massive sales, charts, or influence.
According to The Associated Press, Diana referred to Prince Philip as "Dearest Pa" in letters from 1992, and the duke offers to help try to patch up her marital problems.
Traditionally, the monarch never bows to anyone — it's others who bow or curtsy to the sovereign. But in that moment, the Queen set aside centuries of royal custom to honor Diana, the “People's Princess,” and to reflect the nation's grief.
The depictions of Diana's paranoia about her phone being bugged in The Crown season 5 do have a basis in reality. There is evidence that Diana's phone calls were recorded at least once, and some have suggested that her phone being bugged was a real fear of the Princess of Wales towards the end of her life.