Celebrities

John Travolta reveals what it was like dancing with Princess Diana for the first time

An iconic moment in history.

This article was first published in 2019.

It was the dance that shocked the world.

At the White House in 1985, Princess Diana and John Travolta took to the dancefloor to share a very special moment - here's how Travolta really felt about dancing with the Princess of Wales.

The picture of Princess Diana in the now infamous 'Travolta' dress has become one of the defining images of her life.

It wasn't until many years later that Travolta expressed he was also shocked about the events which unfolded that evening.

In the past, 'Grease' star John Travolta has called his dance with Princess Diana "one of the highlights of my life."

The iconic dance occurred in 1985, while Diana and Prince Charles were on an official royal tour of the US.

In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, John Travolta admitted he had no idea he was meant to be dancing with Princess Diana until he arrived at the White House.

The actor told Yahoo Entertainment: "I didn't know until I got there that I was supposed to dance with her."

"[Princess Diana] kept that a secret when she met me."

"She didn't know that Nancy Reagan hadn't told me yet that this was the plan — that I was the Prince Charming of the evening."

"I was awestruck with Princess Diana."

"She led the way, and I thought: 'Well, that's not going to happen! I've got to go back to my school days of learning ballroom dancing and show that I can lead her," he added.

Travolta commented on the dress saying, "It was definitely a princess dress... It fit her very beautifully."

"I probably could sketch it in my mind because it was so specific."