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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Paige Holland

Why Princess Diana wore two watches on her wrist in lead up to wedding to Charles

Princess Diana was known for many things, but her style made her the fashion icon of the 20th century.

As time passed, the princess's off-duty wardrobe became just as influential as the sleek shift dresses and pearl chokers she wore to royal engagements.

And she wasn't afraid to push boundaries with clothing choices that many royals would have shied away from.

Case in point, in pictures from 1981, shortly after Lady Di got engaged to Prince Charles, she was seen wearing a floral blouse and matching skirt - nothing out of the ordinary.

But what got people talking was her accessory choice.

She wore two watches on her wrist as a nod to Prince Charles (Rex Features)
Charles and Diana only met a few times before getting engaged (Tim Graham/Getty Images)

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On one hand, she wore a woven metal bracelet, but on the other, she wore two wristwatches.

The dainty gold watch was Diana’s, and the other watch, which had a chunky brown leather strap, belonged to Prince Charles.

But she didn’t wear two watches to keep track of two different time zones, there was a sweet reason for why she doubled up on the accessory.

As it turned out, it was a subtle nod to Prince Charles.

According to Marie Claire, she put on Charles' watch as a tribute to him and to wish him good luck in the match.

This kind gesture could be likened to a tradition from the middle ages, where a knight would tie a lady’s handkerchief to the back of his helmet as a good luck talisman.

Diana used her clothes and jewellery to pay tribute to loved ones throughout her royal career, a tradition continued by Meghan Markle and the Duchess of Cambridge.

Instead of borrowing a tiara from the Queen for her July 1981 wedding, she wore one that her sister had previously worn at her own nuptials.

And jewellery also played a heartbreaking role in her life.

Just days before Charles and Diana's wedding, the bride-to-be was left devastated when she walked into his private secretary Michael Colborne's office to find a package on the desk with Camilla's name written on it.

Inside she found a gold bracelet engraved with the letters G and F, which stood for Gladys and Fred - the nicknames Charles and Camilla used for each other.

Speaking in Channel 5 documentary, Charles and Di: The Truth Behind their Wedding, biographer Christopher Wilson said: "I think she was very suspicious of anything Camilla.

"She asked to see what was inside and eventually she was allowed to have her way.

"She was absolutely in tears, in a terrible state about it.

"It was clear that this was Prince Charles' farewell present to Camilla."

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