Princess Diana, Prince Charles ‘Fortunately’ Dodged Royal Disaster That ‘Incensed’ Queen Mother

Princess Diana and Prince Charles fortunately dodged a royal disaster.

In 1987, Prince Edward organized event called “It’s A Royal Knockout” that aimed to make the royal family look trendy, but it turned to be an embarrassment to the members of the Firm. The Earl of Wessex successfully enlisted two of his siblings Prince Andrew and Princess Anne. Sarah Ferguson also joined them. According to Richard Fitzwilliams, it was “fortunate” that the Prince and Princess of Wales didn’t join the show.

“The Duke and Duchess of York, Prince Edward and, almost unbelievably, the Princess Royal participated though fortunately not Charles and Diana,” Fitzwilliams said.

According to sources, Princess Diana was supposed to join the other royals, but Princes Charles didn’t approve of her attendance on the show because he knew that the Queen would not like it. It turned out that the Prince of Wales’ decision was right.

According to royal expert Ingrid Seward, the Queen and Queen Mother were not happy after seeing Prince Andrew, Ferguson, Prince Edward and Princess Anne on the show. The Queen Mother was even incensed.

Queen Mother was the “most upset” because of the disastrous program. She couldn’t believe that her granddaughter and grandsons would get themselves involved in the hour-long exercise on TV because it was not the way most Brits wanted to see the members of the royal family.

At the event, the royals dressed up and mucked about with a selection of stars, including Meat Loaf, Anthony Andrews, Kevin Kline, Mel Smith, Billy Connolly and George Lazenby. Prince Edward dressed as a joke with a yellow plumed hat which made him look like one of Shakespeare’s lesser jesters.

“The Queen did not appreciate the sight of the Duke of York grinning inanely,” Seward added.

Seward admitted that she asked Prince Edward about the embarrassing incident and the Earl of Wessex was furious when she described it as “disastrous.” Seward believed that the incident remains sensitive to the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II.

“Its a Royal Knockout remains a sensitive subject with Prince Edward,” Seward wrote. “When I mentioned the programme to him I happened to call it ‘disastrous’. In a voice edged with irritation, he quickly interposed: ‘It wasn’t disastrous.’”