Princess Diana's Dance With Prince Charles Was "Not as Elegant" as When She Danced With John Travolta, Per Her Longtime Teacher
Diana's private dance instructor, Anne Allan, had some critiques for Charles in her memoir.

Princess Diana had a lifelong love of dance, and from 1981 to 1989, she found a rare sense of "freedom" by taking secret lessons from professional dancer Anne Allan. The dance teacher chronicled her time working with the then-Princess of Wales in her memoir, Dancing With Diana, and among the humorous and heartfelt stories in the book, she shared some thoughts on Princess Diana's famous dance with John Travolta—and how it compared to the royal's dance moves with Prince Charles.
Diana started weekly private lessons with Allan shortly after her 1981 wedding and continued with them up through 1989, when the dance teacher moved to Scotland. In her memoir, Allan wrote that in 1985, Princess Diana and Prince Charles headed on a tour of Australia, sending her a postcard that read: "Our jet leg is quite awful and still after week we are walking around in a haze! I miss my dancing a lot and my boys."
Following the Australian tour, the royal couple traveled to the United States, and Allan wrote that "Americans fell in love with Diana, and the now-iconic images of her and John Travolta dancing at the White House will never be forgotten." The professional dancer added that she "was delighted to see" how Princess Diana "had stretched her arms beautifully and lifted her head as she moved."
Allan described the tour as "a huge success," but one thing that she didn't find as successful was Diana's dance outing in Australia with Prince Charles.
Princess Diana famously danced with John Travolta during a 1985 White House visit.
She showed off some moves with Prince Charles in Australia just about a week before her U.S. visit.
"John knew how to partner and elegantly present his lady, which would have made it a lot easier for her to follow his moves," Allan explained in the book. "I'd seen her dance with Charles in Australia," she continued, referencing the famous outing when the princess repurposed an emerald necklace as a headband worn across her forehead.
Allan's assessment of the dance? "It was not as elegant."
The longtime ballet dancer wrote, "I had wished that they could have had a lesson together before that trip as Charles kept spinning her round, but she'd handled it remarkably well."
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
In Dancing With Diana, Allan also set the record straight on Diana's dance performance to "Uptown Girl," as dramatized in The Crown. Although it wasn't a 37th birthday present for her husband, the public dance fulfilled a long-held dream of Diana's, and according to Allan, her three-word review afterward was "Beats the wedding!"
As for Diana's encounter with Travolta, "she absolutely loved it," according to Allan. "On her return to London, the princess came bounding into the studio to immediately tell me, 'I danced with John Travolta,' and that it was the highlight of the whole tour."
To celebrate, the duo "had a fun class that day trying out some disco moves" with none other than "Stayin' Alive" from Travolta's hit movie, Saturday Night Fever.
Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.
-
Your Hairstylist's Favorite Hair Brand Just Landed at Sephora
The if-you-know-you-know cult classic is going mainstream.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
I Need All of My Lip Products to Come With a Donut Applicator From Now On
I put four viral tinted serums to the test.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
Princess Margaret's "Ill-Mannered" Comments to Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mother Often Had "Courtiers Shaking Their Heads"
The late royal was known for her one-liners.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Princess Diana Once Wore an Unbelievable "Disguise" for a Secret Night Out With an A-List Singer
"We were nudging each other like naughty schoolchildren."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Princess Charlotte Shows a Striking Similarity to Grandma Princess Diana in Viral TikTok
"Charlotte is the exact copy of her."
By Kristin Contino Published
-
10 Investment Handbags That Come With the Royal Family's Stamp of Approval
Your cheat sheet to regal bags.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Princess Kate Is Being Compared to Princess Diana for This "Priceless" Quality During Children's Hospice Visit
The Princess of Wales is following in her late mother-in-law's footsteps.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
25 Under-$250 Beauty Products the Royal Family Swears By
Skip the tiara, steal the skincare routine.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Prince Harry and Prince William Won't Inherit Late Mom Princess Diana's Childhood Home–Here's Who Will
Althorp House won't be handed down to Diana's two sons.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Princess Diana’s Brother Says She Would Be Proud of Prince Harry for Winning an Apology for Her from ‘The Sun’
"She would be incredibly touched at that, and rightly proud."
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Princess Diana Had a "Secret" Trick to "Avoid Wearing Tights" Around the Royals
Rules be damned.
By Kristin Contino Published