“The Surprising Truth About Charles and Diana’s Height Difference”
Prince Charles and Princess Diana seemed like a perfect royal couple, but behind the scenes, their relationship wasn’t the fairy tale many imagined. Despite their challenges, they had two sons, William and Harry, and became one of the most photographed couples in the world.
But in many official photos, Diana appears much shorter than Charles. In reality, they were almost the same height. Sociologist Philip N. Cohen pointed this out in 2017, sharing pictures that revealed the odd photo trick.
It turns out Diana often wore flat shoes next to Charles, possibly to make him look taller. Now that you know, you’ll probably notice it in every picture too.
Princess Diana’s Height Surprised Many — Even in Royal Photos
Diana Spencer became the Princess of Wales in 1981 after marrying Prince Charles. Though they seemed like a perfect royal couple at first, their relationship faced public scrutiny over the years.
One detail about Diana that always stood out was her height. At 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 meters), she was much taller than the average British woman—and about the same height as Charles. That might explain why both Prince William and Prince Harry are over 6 feet tall.
In 2017, a viral tweet pointed out that in official photos, Charles often looked much taller than Diana—despite being roughly the same height. Fans speculated it was intentional, while others were simply surprised by the illusion.
“Why Prince Charles Always Looked Taller Than Diana”
Though Prince Charles and Princess Diana were nearly the same height, many photos were staged to make Charles appear taller. In their engagement photo, he stood on a step above her. In others, Diana tilted her head, slouched, or avoided wearing heels to create the illusion.
Author Cohen highlighted this with photo comparisons on Twitter. Reports suggest this was done to fit the traditional view that men should be taller than their wives. Oddly, Diana—who often criticized royal rules—never publicly objected to this subtle manipulation.
Have you ever picked up on this subtle detail in Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s formal portraits? It’s something many people might have missed. If you found this interesting, don’t forget to share it with others!