Princess Diana’s unexpectedly wild taste in movies

Princess Diana’s singular tastes often set her apart from the royal fray — where those born into the Firm are known to enjoy and boast a rather high brow predilection towards everything really, including entertainment, the former Princess of Wales was equally transparent about her opposing and relatable preferences.

Among the many times she met artists and celebrities from all over the world, one encounter with the British thespian, Tim Curry, greatly highlights the sheer difference between Diana and her royal peers — her husband, the then Prince Charles, included.

Scandalous education

Curry recently recalled his meeting with Diana and Charles while speaking to BBC Radio 4, which occurred when the former royal couple came to see him perform in a stage production.

“I was doing ‘Love For Love’… and Charles and Diana made an appearance,” he said. “So we were all kind of lined up, and Diana was wearing a blue sequined dress, and she said, ‘Is there anybody here from wardrobe? My dress is deconstructing, I’ve got a trail of sequins all the way from the royal box.’”

Following introductions with the cast and crew, the It actor recalled that while the then Prince of Wales vaguely remembered him, his wife was more than aware of his work, thanks to one of its defining moments.

“Then they were introduced to people individually, and Charles said, in that sort of mumble that he has, he said, ‘I think I’ve seen you on television’, and I said, ‘Well, I hope I didn’t bore you, sir,’” he recounted on the radio programme, Today.

On the other hand, Diana enthusiastically quizzed Curry about his famous appearance in the cult musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

“Diana said, ‘You were in ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, weren’t you?’, and I said, ‘Yes, ma’am, but I don’t imagine that you saw it’, and she said, ‘No, of course, I did, it very much completed my education,’” he revealed.

The 1975 release is memorable for its subversive and incredibly boundary pushing narratives for its time, which largely represented the era of sexual revolution and LGBT visibility of the decade, a depiction which Tim Curry explained “gives audiences the permission to behave badly” — hardly a typical royal’s cup of tea.

But, as was true on most occasions, Princess Diana was not a typical royal, and she made sure that everyone knew.

Dirty Diana

From her dear friendship with Elton John to her reported night-on-the-town exploits with Freddie Mercury, Diana was no less than a real rockstar herself.

When she attended Michael Jackson’s concert alongside King Charles in 1988, the late musician was asked by the late royal if he would be performing his popular song with which she shared a name, Dirty Diana.

However, the King of Pop informed her that he had already taken the hit off of the show’s tracklist, out of respect for her.

Hearing this, Diana insisted that he include it because it was actually her favourite song among his discography at the time, leaving the Thriller entertainer aghast.

ScreenRant claimed that when “Prince Charles approached to ask what they were talking about”, Princess Diana allegedly gave the playful reply, “Oh, nothing”, before moving on.