To state the plainly obvious: there were many remarkable aspects of Prince Charles (now King Charles) and Princess Diana's relationship—including their age difference ranks. While Charles was born on November 14, 1948, his future wife, Lady Diana Spencer was born on July 1, 1961 giving them a 12 year difference in age. The couple married on July 29, 1981, just a few weeks after Diana's 20th birthday.
While Prince Charles started courting the future Princess of Wales in 1980, she was still 19 when Charles proposed on February 3, 1981, only six months into their relationship. Their engagement was announced a few weeks later on February 24, almost 5 months to the day before they headed to the altar. It has been said that Diana and her future husband had only interacted on 13 occasions between the beginning of their relationship and when they exchanged their vows.
Interestingly enough, Princess Diana's parents Frances Shand Kydd and John Spencer had a similar age gap; while her mother was born in 1936, Princess Diana's father was born in 1924. As it happens, their union also ended in divorce.
Given their significant age difference, Princess Diana was notably still quite young, just over 30, when she and Prince Charles separated in 1992. Their divorce was finalized in 1996, ending 15 years of marriage. Diana was only 36 years old when she passed away a year later, on August 31, 1997.
Diana: Her True Story--in Her Own Words
As the deputy digital lifestyle director at Town & Country, Roxanne Adamiyatt covers fashion, beauty, wellness, design and travel.
