In 1985, at a White House dinner in Washington, D.C., Princess Diana did something no one expected. She walked across the room, went up to the singer on stage, and nervously asked him a very sweet question before taking his hand to dance.
Princess Diana walked up to him.
Before she took his hand, she paused and asked a shy, almost school-like question: “Is it proper in the United States for a lady to ask a gentleman to dance?”
That was the moment.
Neil says she was “extraordinary,” “sensitive,” a real human being. As they moved through the room, witnesses say she was visibly blushing, smiling as they glided between world leaders and flashing cameras. For a few minutes, the royal rules seemed to fall away. It was just a young princess and the singer she adored.
Then came the sweetest reveal of all: she had asked him to dance because she was a fan.
Neil could never turn down a dance with a princess
If that quiet, human moment between Neil Diamond and Princess Diana pulled you in, this next chapter makes it even richer. Here, the story zooms out to the full White House gala, with voices like official photographer Pete Souza confirming what the room actually saw and heard. You discover the song they were dancing to, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” and why it made the moment feel so tender and slightly bittersweet.
Neil Diamond Interview Dancing with Princess Diana 1985
To really feel what happened on that White House dance floor, you have to hear the song that wrapped around them. “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” is not a party tune. Now imagine Neil Diamond singing those words while gently turning with a blushing Princess Diana in front of the world’s most powerful guests. This live performance brings back that same weight and tenderness.