Princess Diana’s sister dated Prince Charles first – but she refused to marry him
Princess Diana was the most famous person of her time, but she wasn’t the only Spencer sister to steal Prince Charles' heart. According to British newspaper, The Mirror, the heir to the British throne dated Lady Sarah Spencer in the hopes to find a woman who would birth and raise his future children.
With Charles dating Camilla Shand (now his wife Duchess Camilla) in the early '70s, after it came to an end he was faced with the pressure of finding an appropriate wife who could take on the royal duties. It is said he dated more than 20 women before he found Princess Diana, and her sister was amongst that number.
While the relationship did not last long, The Mirror reports that Charles and Lady Sarah may have shared a long-term commitment if it wasn’t for an interview she gave to journalist James Whitaker.
Whitaker had met Lady Sarah and Charles in Switzerland during the ‘70s while at a ski resort.
Looking back, Whitaker wrote: “My mission improbable as a young journalist was to discover who Charles would marry and be first with the news.”
While Lady Spencer gave him the information he was looking for, it eventually ended her relationship with Prince Charles.
“Sarah was disarmingly frank about her boyfriend and declared she would not marry Charles “if he were the dustman or the King of England,” he said.
Immediately after Whitaker shared the information with Charles, he allegedly called Lady Spencer and said to her, “You have just done something incredibly stupid.”
Later, Charles would propose to Diana, but their infamous marriage was subject to public scrutiny and was filled with tension because Charles was in love with his now wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles. According to The Mirror, Charles and Camilla had a year-long relationship before he met Sarah Spencer.
Despite their history, it is said that Lady Sarah Spencer was the one who introduced Diana and Charles and she approved of their relationship from the beginning.
“I introduced them, I’m cupid,” she told the Guardian.
Lady Sarah Spencer married and went on to give birth to three children, Emily, George and Celia, The Mirror reports. Despite the circumstances, she still maintains a great relationship with her nephews Prince William and Prince Harry and attended Harry’s wedding to Meghan in May.