Princess Diana's Shoe Choices Revealed More Than You Think

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We all know that Princess Diana was a bonafide style icon. The legendary royal always looked stunning from head to toe, yet it seems that her footwear may have been dictated by more than just her famous fashion sense. Diana rose to fame as King Charles III's first wife. While her uniqueness, grace, and tendency toward trendsetting solidified her stardom, it was her association with the royal family that first put her on the map. This affected what she wore and how she presented herself in myriad ways. One way, in particular, might surprise people.

The royal family dress code puts unique limitations on what folks can and cannot wear. We all remember how Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex couldn't stand some of the royal fashion rules that were thrust upon her when she started dating Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Diana seemingly had her own issues with some of the wardrobe restrictions put in place when she married into the royal family. Still, from hats to hemlines, the fashionista kept most of her looks within the royal guidelines. There were also some ways that Diana altered her style to fit in with Charles that weren't exactly hard and fast rules. Diana became known for wearing flat shoes, rather than sporting heels. At the time, this may have seemed like a personal choice based on comfort or appearance. Later, though, it was slowly revealed that this choice may have been more about making Charles comfortable than doing what she wanted.

Princess Diana was tall at 5 feet, 10 inches. King Charles III is also 5 feet, 10 inches. While this is still above average height for a man, Diana reportedly didn't want to appear taller than her husband. "For years, Diana wore shoes no higher than two inches out of respect to her husband's ego. Since he was the same height as she was," wrote "The Lady Di Look Book: What Diana Was Trying to Tell Us Through Her Clothes" author Eloise Moran (per Business Insider).

Diana's concern about appearing taller than Charles was apparently so deep that it even affected her look on her wedding day. It's certainly typical for brides to wear heels while walking down the aisle. It isn't particularly typical for brides to worry about outshining their groom on the big day, but Diana reportedly did just that. Clive Shilton and Julie Smith designed Diana's bespoke shoes for her 1981 nuptials. "Her main concern was that she wouldn't appear taller than [then-]Prince Charles, and because she was very tall — 5 [feet,] 10 [inches] — the shoes would have to have a low heel," Shilton later recalled about the design process to the Daily Mail. It's certainly interesting that appearing shorter than Charles was top of mind for Diana when designing her bridal look. Charles' impact on Diana's shoe collection did not last, since their relationship eventually ended.

Her divorce from King Charles III resulted in Princess Diana's iconic revenge dress. What many people may not have realized, though, is that she was getting a bit of revenge with her shoes as well. "Jimmy Choo recalled that at the start of their seven-year friendship, Diana always ordered flats, then as her marriage started to crumble, the heels got higher," Eloise Moran wrote in "The Lady Di Look Book" (via Business Insider). According to her, "As the estranged royal's confidence grew, so did her heels."

Observing Diana's shoe choices during and after her relationship with Charles shows just how much changed, and the footwear she sported with her revenge dress is no exception. A pair of black stilettos was the cherry on top of the famous 'fit. Diana's all-black ensemble sent a clear message to the world as she parted ways with Charles under unhappy circumstances. Interestingly, though, it may have been the Manolo Blahnik heels that sent the biggest message to Charles himself. Without him, she could stand as tall as she pleased and wear whatever shoes she wanted. That major footwear fashion statement helped Diana's revenge dress to become one of her most legendary ensembles.