In the months before her death, Princess Diana was excitedly planning a move to Malibu, California, according to both her butler and her voice coach. Diana had recently begun dating businessman Dodi Fayed, who had just bought property of his own in the area. "She said, 'This is our new life, just won't it be great, think of the lifestyle, the boys—nobody's judgmental here in America, you don't have the class system, you don't have the establishment,'" former butler Paul Burrell has said. The late princess's reported dream of moving to California and leaving the royal family behind closely mirrors her son's life: Last year, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle chose to make their home in Montecito, which is an hour away from Malibu down the coast of California.
Said Burrell: "[The house] was going to be in Malibu...I saw the plans. We sat on the floor, spread out all the maps and the layout of the house." The boys, then aged 12 and 15, were based in the U.K. at the time, but Diana shared joint custody with their father Prince Charles. Burrell added: "Why couldn't [the boys] come and spend a portion of their time in America? That would be very stiff and staunchy if the queen would say, 'No, they can't go to America.'"
Speaking to Us Weekly, Diana's former voice coach Stewart Pierce supported Burrell's claim, saying: "She was talking about buying a property in Malibu [and saying] that would be ‘really great’ for the boys to have freedom so that they could surf. Because they’re both very sporty, you know, but they could surf, they could roller blade, they could Frisbee."
Of course, Harry and Meghan have other ties to California, too: Meghan grew up in Hollywood, and her mom Doria Ragland lives nearby. And Harry and Meghan said in their Oprah tell-all interview that they love their life there: "I guess the highlight for me is sticking [Archie] on the back of the bicycle in his little baby seat and take him on these bike rides, which is something I was never able to do when I was young," Harry told Oprah.
"Living here now I can actually lift my head and I feel different, my shoulders have dropped, so have hers, you can walk around feeling a little bit more free," he said on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast.
A source told Vogue at the time of their move: "Harry loves California, but they were both drawn to the smaller town of Santa Barbara, where they can integrate into the community while having some distance and privacy that is hard to come by in the Los Angeles area."
Princess Diana's Most Iconic Fashion Moments
August 9, 1997
Princess Diana visited Bosnia to raise awareness of the landmines in 1997. The royal wore her Cartier watch and Tod's loafers.
May 22, 1997
Princess Diana visited The Shaukat Memorial Hospital in Pakistan. She wore a traditional blue ensemble and carried a handbag from Tod's, which is named after her.
April 21, 1997
Princess Diana wore a Chanel tweed suit set and carried a handbag designed by Lana Marks while visiting the British Lung Foundation.
January 1, 1997
Princess Diana spotted in NYC wore a foam green skirt suit and carried a white Chanel bag.
September 12, 1996
Princess Diana stunned in a white Versace mini dress while attending a concert in Italy.
November 1995
Princess Diana visited Liverpool while wearing a Versace orange skirt suit (shop a similar orange jacket here) and carried Dior's lady bag.
November 1, 1995
Princess Di was spotted leaving the Chelsea Harbour Club in a Virgin Atlantic sweatshirt, orange biker shorts, and Reebok socks.
June 5, 1996
The royal wore a purple Versace dress and Jimmy Choo pumps while attending a gala dinner in Chicago.
June 29, 1994
Princess Diana arrived at the Serpentine Gallery in London. She opted for an off-the-shoulder dress by Christina Stambolian. (You can shop a similar one here.)
May 30, 1993
Princess Diana arrived at Heathrow Airport while carrying a Salvatore Ferragamo bag and Tanner Krolle trunk.
December 23,1990
Princess Diana and Prince William attended the christening of her niece in Sandringham in a houndstooth ensemble and Chanel slingbacks.
May 1, 1990
Princess Diana donned a Catherine Walker suit with a Philip Somerville hat to visit Heroes' Square in Budapest.
April 11, 1990
The royal enjoyed a beach holiday in Necker with her sons. She chose an animal print one-piece swimsuit and wore a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses.
July 27,1989
Princess Diana attended the performance of Swan Lake in London. She wore a Catherine Walker gown.
June 1989
Princess Diana and Prince Harry were spotted leaving nursery school. Lady Di wore a pink buttoned dress and accessorized with a Cartier watch.
March 17, 1989
Princess Diana visited Dubai during her official tour of the Gulf States. Lady Di wore Catherine Walker ensemble and a Philip Somerville hat.
March 15, 1989
The princess wore a pink and red color block Catherine Walker dress and a Philip Somerville hat during her official tour of the Gulf States.
November 9, 1988
Princess Diana wore Catherine Walker white ensemble in Chambord, France during her official visit to the country.
June 23, 1988
Princess Diana visited the Royal Hampshire Regiment. She was seen wearing a jumpsuit and a pair of pink Converse sneakers.
June 10, 1988
Princess Diana stepped out to play tennis at the Vanderbilt Raquet Club in London. She wore Reebok sneakers and carried a Wilson racket.
July 18, 1986
Princess Diana, seen on the steps of her home in Highgrove, Gloucestershire. She wore gingham trousers, pink sweater, and white boat shoes (shop similar).
November 3, 1985
The royal attended a polo match in Australia. She choose a striped shirt dress and accessorized with a D initial necklace and a Patek Philippe gold watch.
June 30, 1985
Princess Diana attended a polo match while wearing a white sailor top, floral skirt, and a Patek Philippe watch.
May 4, 1985
Princess Diana wore a Bruce Oldfield dress during a visit to Venice. (Shop a similar blue strong shoulder dress.)
July 29, 1983
Princess Diana attended a polo match in West Sussex while wearing seersucker trousers, a white top, and acetate aviator sunglasses (shop similar).
July 24, 1983
Princess Diana attended a polo match in Windsor. She was seen wearing a polka dot dress (shop similar), a coin necklace, and two watches. She was known for wearing two watches during matches to bring Prince Charles luck.
March 1983
During an official tour to Australia, Princess Diana wore a pink polka dot dress by Donald Campbell (shop similar) and a matching hat by John Boyd.
April 1983
Princess Diana wore a green spotted dress and a Patek Philippe watch for a visit to Auckland, New Zealand.
May 6, 1981
The royal couple were photographed together at the Balmoral Estate in Scotland. Lady Di wore a colorful alpaca sweater, corduroy trousers, and Hunter rain boots.
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