As the Princess of Wales, the late Princess Diana‘s schedule was always full of charity events, major speeches and even star-studded premieres. And, as her years in the spotlight continued, so did the list of celebrities she met along the way. From Liza Minnelli to former couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, many A-listers were lucky enough to meet the “People’s Princess” up close.
In one of the most iconic meetings, John Travolta quite literally whisked Diana off her feet and into the dancefloor during an official dinner at the White House in 1985. “About 10 o’clock at night, Nancy Reagan tapped on my shoulder and said, ‘The Princess, her fantasy is to dance with you. Would you like to dance with her tonight?'” Travolta recalled in the special In Their Own Words: Diana, Princess of Wales, per People. “And I said, ‘Well of course.'”
“My heart starts to race, you know, and I tap her on the shoulder and she turns around and looks at me, and she had that kind of bashful dip [of her chin] that she did, and she looked up at me, and I said, ‘Would you care to dance with me?’ and she said ‘Yes.'” Talk about a movie moment!
“I took her and the whole room cleared,” Travolta remembered. “We danced for what felt like 15 minutes.”
To see more stars who shared memorable moments with the late royal, whose 63rd birthday would’ve been today, scroll below!
David Bowie
The late David Bowie smiled so wide when he met Princess Diana for the very first time at the World Aids Day Concert in 1993.
George Michael
The late George Michael looked so charming as he met Diana during that same night.
Grace Kelly
In a royalty-meeting-royalty moment, Diana met Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly at The Royal Opera House in 1981.
Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman
In 1992, Diana met former Hollywood power couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman at the premiere of Far and Away.
Elton John
Elton John not only met Princess Diana, but they were close friends too. At the 1997 funeral of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace, the two attended the event side by side.
John Travolta
John Travolta made quite an impression on the Princess when the two hit the dancefloor during an official dinner at the White House in 1985. One of the most iconic meetings ever!
Elizabeth Taylor
In a moment where Hollywood royalty met actual royalty, Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana met at the Victoria Palace Theatre after a charity premiere of The Little Foxes in 1982.
Liza Minnelli
Speaking of Hollywood royalty, Diana and Liza Minnelli looked like true best friends as they laughed and chatted at a party following the charity film premiere of Stepping Out in 1991.
Hillary Clinton
Speaking of friends, Hillary Clinton and Diana got close white chatting at a White House breakfast in 1996.
Tina Turner
Tina Turner was all smiles when she met Diana at a Prince’s Trust Charity Rock Concert at Wembley in June 1986.
Ron Howard, Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson
At the London premiere of Apollo 13, Diana met Oscar winner Tom Hanks, his wife Rita Wilson, and the movie’s director Ron Howard. Just by this picture, we can already tell how starstruck Howard was!
Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan & Billy Crystal
In another star-studded premiere, Diana met Meg Ryan, her then-partner Dennis Quaid, and Billy Crystal at the London premiere of When Harry Met Sally in 1989.
Robin Williams
In the London premiere of Hook in 1992, Diana shared a sweet exchange with late actor Robin Williams.
Dustin Hoffman
Also in attendance that night was fellow actor Dustin Hoffman.
Kate Moss
As two of the most talked-about women of the time, Diana met supermodel Kate Moss at The Pre-auction Party at Christie’s in 1997.
Barbara Walters
Diana looked so happy as she chatted up with Barbara Walters that same night.
Steven Spielberg
At the star-studded premiere of Back To The Future in 1985, Diana met award-winning director Steven Spielberg and his ex-wife Amy Irving.
Phil Collins
In addition to meeting the Princess, singer Phil Collins gifted her a personalized jacket with an embroidered gold crown for Prince William when they met at the Royal charity concert in 1984. What a sweet gesture!
Lionel Richie
Much like Collins, Lionel Richie gifted Diana with two leather jackets when they met in 1987, one for Prince William and another for Prince Harry. So sweet!
Paul McCartney
Before taking the stage, Paul McCartney and his ex-wife Linda took some time to chat with the Princess of Wales in 1992.
Uma Thurman, John Malkovich & Glenn Close
In a photo that epitomizes 80s fashion, Diana met actors Uma Thurman, John Malkovich, and Glenn Close at the premiere of Dangerous Liaisons in 1989.
Tony Bennett
One legend met another when Diana shook hands with the late Tony Bennett at a Gala Dinner at The Field Museum Of Natural History in 1996.
Michael Douglas
Actor Michael Douglas and Diana seemed to hit it off after they met at the London premiere of Wall Street in 1988.
Barbra Streisand & Nick Nolte
Diana and Barbra Streisand might’ve been fangirling over each other when they met at the 1992 premiere of The Prince of Tides. Also in attendance was fellow actor Nick Nolte.
Clint Eastwood
Another iconic moment was when Clint Eastwood and Diana shook hands at the London premiere of The Fugitive in 1993.
Roger Moore
British royalty met British fictional royalty when James Bond himself Roger Moore met the Princess of Wales at the premiere of Octopussy in 1983.
Charlie Sheen
In one of the most unexpected pairings, Charlie Sheen met Princess Diana when she attended the Hot Shots premiere in 1991.
Joan Collins
Princess Diana and Joan Collins both exuded so much elegance when they met each other at a Bruce Oldfield London fashion soiree in London in aid of the Barnardos charity in 1985.
Kurt Russell & Billy Baldwin
Kurt Russell and Billy Baldwin matched in black tuxes as they met Diana at the premiere of Backdraft in 1991.
Bryan Adams
Diana and Bryan Adams not only met but were rumored to be having an affair too.
During an episode of Watch What Happens Live in 2018, Adams attempted to squash the rumors saying they were just “good friends.” As to how they would meet in the Palace, Adams said, “She didn’t sneak me in, I would just roll up.”
Freddie Mercury
While there are no pictures of them together, Princess Diana was reportedly close friends with the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. According to actress Cleo Rocos, they even enjoyed a night out at a gay nightclub once.
“We pleaded, ‘What would be the headline if you were caught in a gay bar brawl?’” Rocos recalled in her memoir, per Biography. “But Diana was in full mischief mode. Freddie said, ‘Go on, let the girl have some fun.’”
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