The Secret Princess Diana Hid From King Charles When Their Marriage Was On The Rocks

Princess Diana used dancing as an outlet to release her pain amid her tumultuous marriage to then-Prince Charles. She had hundreds of secret dance lessons with her ballet teacher, Anne Allan, for nine years, from 1981 to 1989 — about the same time her marriage was falling apart. The late Princess of Wales even found a confidante in Allan. The dance teacher admitted that it was during their sessions she learned about Charles' affection for an "older woman," whom she later learned was the then-Camilla Parker Bowles. Allan felt helpless as Diana confided in her because she wasn't in any position to help her. "It's not just a friend who's going through something—there was much more at stake for her. And she truly loved Charles," Allan told People.

The royal couple had an unhappy union from the start, with Diana being paranoid that her husband was seeing his ex-lover, Camilla. According to Sally Bedell Smith's 2017 biography, "Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life," their relationship soured as early as their honeymoon. Their marital strife worsened, with Diana experiencing insomnia, bulimia, depression, and anxiety as a result.

"I just can't seem to do anything right when it comes to my husband. I do love him so much and want him to be proud of me, but I don't think he feels the same way," Diana told Allen, the latter wrote in "Dancing With Diana: A Memoir" (via People). Diana felt she wasn't enough for Charles, who began an affair with Camilla in 1986.

Although Princess Diana's dancing sessions were a secret, she showcased her talent multiple times. Diana danced with John Travolta at a White House dinner on November 9, 1985. And in December 1985, she wowed many when she danced to Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" with dancer Wayne Sleep at a charity event held to celebrate Charles' 37th birthday. However, King Charles was reportedly not proud of his then-wife.

According to Allan, Charles had a frosty reaction when Diana danced with Sleep. Sleep said Diana approached him about the performance because she wanted it to be a surprise Christmas gift for her husband. Biographer Tina Brown said in her book "The Diana Chronicles" that Charles appeared distant after the performance and seemed disappointed when the dance leaked.

Allan said Diana was desperate to impress her husband because she didn't feel his affection and only wanted him to be happy. However, her performance turned out to be another disappointment, as Charles supposedly felt Diana was trying to outshine him in that moment. Royal expert Jennie Bond claimed Charles had different feelings toward Diana and Camilla's accomplishments. "I think that whereas Charles was rather jealous of Diana's success, he could not be more proud of Camilla," Bond told OK! Diana and Charles' divorce was announced in December 1992 and finalized in 1996.