Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer) finished school at Kent in 1977. Later that year, her sister introduced her to her ex-boyfriend, Prince Charles. In 1980, she and Charles met again, this time while Diana was working as a nanny at the Young England School in London, and a romance blossomed between the two. In her young age, Diana had wanted to become a ballerina, but at five feet, 10 inches, she was too tall.

Career Highs.
Diana and Charles married when she was only 20 years old, marking the first time an heir had married an English woman in 300 years. She bore two children, Princes William and Harry. In 1987, Princess Diana began to visit AIDS victims, becoming one of the first high-profile people to be photographed touching victims infected with the disease. With paparazzi following the Princess relentlessly, Diana's style was carefully watched, and she received praise for her slender gowns, tailored coats and structured hats. In 1990, she was named the "Best Dressed Woman" by a British magazine.

Princess Diana truly was England's rose. She had a magical aura about her. I always felt she really understood how to use fashion as the silent language and let clothes do the talking for her when she couldn't, the way a movie star in the silent films did.
                                                                      - Designer John Galliano
Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their wedding day.
Career Lows.
The marriage between Diana and Charles deteriorated in the late 1980s, and Diana attributed the failure to her husband's affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles. She said, "Well there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." The divorce was finalized in 1996. Throughout her life in the public eye, Diana's style changed drastically from '80s-style puffy sleeves to sleek gowns that revealed her slender figure.

Legacy.
Many contemporary royals have picked up where Diana left off, wearing designer dresses and being photographed in sophisticated, tailored clothes. Women like Marie-Chantal of Greece, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, and even Prince William's love Kate Middleton have taken to choosing high-end designers for their public appearances. Designers and the public alike are still talking about her fashion choices, which somehow don't seem quite so charming without her in them.

Princess Diana in an elegant choker and structured gown with a lovely neckline.
Get the Look.
Dressing like Princess Diana means keeping it simple, very sophisticated and subtly sexy (in her later years). Elegant hats and structured suits and dresses are flattering and add class to a formal occasion.

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