Before the bells of St. Paul's Cathedral rang out or a certain sapphire engagement ring was given, Lady Diana Spencer was slowly getting to know Prince Charles. The early stages of their royal courtship were marked by a few polite outings—they met only 13 times before getting married on July 29, 1981—and apparently, one such meeting came with an awkward suggestion.
According to Andrew Morton's biography Diana: Her True Story—In Her Own Words (via Hello!), Prince Charles took Lady Diana to his new country home, Highgrove House, in the summer of 1980.
"During that first weekend, Prince Charles showed Diana around Highgrove, the 353-acre Gloucestershire home he had bought in July—the same month he had started to woo her," Morton penned.
Apparently, the Prince of Wales, as the now-King was then-known, decided that the stylish Miss Spencer was the right woman to help him sort out the home's decor...despite the fact they barely knew each other at the time.
"As he took her on a guided tour of the eight-bedroom mansion, the Prince asked her to organize the interior decoration," Morton wrote. "He liked her taste, though she felt that it was a 'most improper' suggestion as they were not even engaged."
"Improper" or not, Prince Charles clearly admired her opinion, and the couple went on to announce their engagement on February 24, 1981. They would later pose for beautiful family photos in the gardens at Highgrove with their two children, Prince William and Prince Harry.
The snapshots feature the young family standing in a field of flowers and exploring its gardens, including some more casual pictures of Diana and the children playing on a swing set and Prince William riding a pony.
Prince Charles was also photographed inside the property in 1982, providing a rare glimpse of Highgrove's interior. One image shows him seated on a light-colored sofa with pale green floral cushions while reading a book. The room features coordinating curtains in the same floral pattern, a potted plant, and framed photographs displayed on a dark wooden table behind the prince. It's bright, homey and not too stuffy—and the view of the gardens out the window completes the perfect royal picture. All thanks to Diana, it seems.
