Pretty much everyone knows that Prince Charles and Princess Diana had an unhappy marriage. Queen Elizabeth II even notoriously encouraged them to get a divorce after they both publicly admitted to infidelity.
Things weren't always so tense between the pair, though. When they first got engaged, Charles and Diana looked like any other recently betrothed couple.
At the time, people couldn't get enough of the fairy tale royal engagement. If you take a closer look at the early days of their relationship, however, you can't help but notice some serious red flags.
For instance, although they'd known each other for years, Charles and Diana were only together romantically for six months before getting engaged.
Charles also felt pressure from his parents to find a suitable wife and settle down after turning 30. As the future king, the royal family (and the entire country) expected him to get married and have children.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons / From The Ronald Reagan Library; Wikimedia Commons / Tyle
[H/T: PopSugar]
There was a 12-year age gap between Diana and Charles — and that wasn't even the most dramatic part of their relationship.
When they first met, Charles was dating Diana's older sister, Sarah. Diana was only 16 at that time, and their relationship didn't start until years later.
In 1980, Diana and Charles saw each other again, and Charles took interest in Diana as his potential bride.
After just 12 dates, Prince Charles popped the question to Diana, and she agreed to marry him.
"It was like a call to duty, really," Diana revealed in audio recordings used in the documentary Diana: In Her Own Words.
They announced their engagement on February 24, 1981, and the two began making public appearances together.
In their first interview as a betrothed couple, though, there were already some signs of trouble in paradise.
In 1981, Prince Charles and Diana met the press to discuss their engagement, much like the one Prince Harry did with Meghan Markle in early 2018.
Of course, the interviewer asked if they were in love.
Diana immediately responded to the question by saying, "Of course," but Prince Charles hesitated.
When he did speak, he said, "Whatever 'in love' means."
This was just one of the many times Charles made an offhand comment that hurt Diana — but it's telling that it occurred even before they were married.
But why did he say it? Well, many people speculate it's because he wasn't actually in love with Diana. In fact, several believe he was still harboring feelings for Camilla Parker Bowles, who would eventually become his second wife.
There were even earlier signs that Charles and Diana weren't a perfect match.
Diana was actually shocked when Prince Charles proposed to her; she thought he was joking at first.
“I remember thinking, ‘This is a joke," Diana admitted in the documentary.
She continued:
So I said, “Yeah, okay.” And he was deadly serious. He said, “You do realize that one day you will be Queen.” A voice said to me inside, “You won’t be Queen, but you’ll have a tough role.” So I said, “Yes,” and I said, “I love you so much, I love you so much.” And he said, “Whatever love means. Said it then.”
But despite being stunned by the proposal, she truly thought Charles loved her.
"In my immaturity, which was enormous, I thought he was very much in love with me, which he was," she said. "He sort of had the besotted look about him, looking back at it, but it wasn't the genuine sort."
Unfortunately, Prince Charles and Princess Diana never worked out their differences. They officially split up in 1996.
Just a year later, Diana tragically passed away. At only 36 years old, she was never able to get her "happily ever after."
Although Diana's love life wasn't perfect, there's no doubt that she would have been so proud to see her sons fall in love and get married.
Nobody would have championed their relationships as much as she would have. Luckily, Princes William and Harry definitely know that.
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