Princess Diana wore male drag to go to gay bar with Freddie Mercury: new bio

Princess Diana once donned male drag to accompany Freddie Mercury to a famed gay bar in London, says a new biography of the princess.

Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.

Versions of the story have circulated previously, but it’s getting renewed attention now with the release of Dianaworld: An Obsession by Edward White. The book came out Tuesday, and People has published an exclusive excerpt.

“In Diana’s mythology, furtive nocturnal activity plays an important role as moments when she secretly revealed hidden aspects of her true self,” White writes in the portion excerpted. He continues, “And nighttime offered the possibility of reinvention and anonymous adventure; the best-known example being the alleged occasion when Diana took a trip to one of London’s most famous gay bars.”

White cites the memoirs of actress Cleo Rocos, who wrote about a night out in the late 1980s with Diana, the bisexual Queen front man, and gay radio and TV host Kenny Everett. “At some point in the evening, Rocos claims, Diana persuaded them to take her to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a place that Everett warned was ‘not for you ... full of hairy gay men,’” White’s book says. “Diana was insistent, however, so Everett helped her disguise herself in male drag: ‘a camouflage army jacket, hair tucked up into a leather cap and dark aviator sunglasses. Scrutinizing her in the half-light we decided that the most famous icon of the modern world might just ... JUST, pass for a rather eccentrically dressed gay male model.’” No one recognized Diana, and the group had one drink and moved on, according to Rocos.

Trending stories

Rising star LAVERN says LGBTQ+ ravers 'bring the fire' ahead of EDC performance

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts

Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more

The Tryst Puerto Vallarta is the perfect destination for gays to embrace their worst behavior

Benito Skinner says he's been asked not to audition for straight roles

What was that? 'Senate Twink' reveals why he had sex in Senate building

More than a stay: Airbnb’s latest release is built for the way we travel today

11 best LGBTQ+ true crime docs and where to watch them

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

From small town charm to big city Pride: exploring LGBTQ+ Ontario

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

Everything we know about 'Pillion', the kinky gay film taking over Cannes

Lesbian Pride: Here's every Dyke March in the U.S. in 2025

500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis

'Drag Race's Arrietty apologizes to Irene for 'racist' & 'prepubescent' accusations

Elton John reflects on life-changing sobriety: 'It's OK to ask for help'

Reneé Rapp joins star-powered WorldPride Music Festival: 'Pride is everything' (exclusive)

I tried girth enhancement — here’s what I wish I knew first

Rachel Levine fought HIV & STIs at HHS. Now she’s speaking out because that progress is being undone

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

Colton Ford's peers and friends honor a 'sweet, funny, talented' man

Deja Skye says 'Drag Race' fandom saved them: 'There was contemplation of unaliving myself'

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Grindr is reminding us why jockstraps are so sexy and iconic

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

“The story sounds far-fetched,” White acknowledges, but he notes that there are other stories of Diana disguising herself to enjoy nightclub visits in anonymity. “Irrespective of its veracity, the story of Diana in drag at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern has been taken up as an illustration of her connection with the gay community and a metaphor for her own search for a family in which she felt truly accepted,” he writes.

The tale of the princess’s visit to the Royal Vauxhall was also told in Desmond O’Connor’s play Royal Vauxhall, which was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016 and toured the U.K. the following year, the 20^th anniversary of Diana’s death. “This show is surprisingly moving as it explores the lives of this trio after their escape to the RVT,” a critic wrote atThe Reviews Hubin 2017. Mercury and Everett both died of AIDS complications, in 1991 and 1995, respectively and Diana in the notorious car crash in Paris in 1997.