In the sweltering summer of 1997, Princess Diana found herself at a crossroads. With her divorce from Prince Charles finalized and a two-year relationship with Dr. Hasnat Khan concluded, she was navigating a period of immense transition. Her summer was filled with travel, romance, and a restlessness that would ultimately lead her to a fateful decision.
Diana’s summer began with a trip to Saint-Tropez with the Al Fayed family, where she enjoyed the Mediterranean sun with her sons, prince william and Prince Harry. But as August approached, her plans took a dramatic turn. A scheduled cruise around Greece with close friend Rosa Monckton was followed by a planned trip to Italy with Lana Marks, a South African handbag designer and newfound friend.
Diana’s Friendship with Lana Marks
The friendship between Diana and Lana Marks began in September 1996 at a fundraiser in Washington, DC. Seated next to fashion icons Anna Wintour and Ralph Lauren, Diana struck up a conversation with Marks, who complimented her dress. This chance encounter blossomed into a fast friendship, with the two women bonding over their shared love of fashion.
Marks, the founder of an eponymous handbag and accessories line known for its use of exotic leathers, designed a small carryall in Diana’s honor. The Diana bag was created to be ‘statuesque,’ reflecting the Princess’s tall and slim stature. ‘I made it a long bag, rather than a wide bag, because she was tall and slim,’ Marks recalled.
The Cancelled Italian Getaway
The pair planned a European getaway for the end of August, with a two-night stay at Milan’s Four Seasons hotel and a visit to the La Scala opera. However, fate intervened when Marks’s father passed away suddenly at the end of July. Marks had to cancel the trip and return to South Africa, leaving Diana with a gap in her schedule.
‘My father died suddenly, so I had to cancel my vacation with the princess and travel to my homeland,’ Marks recounted. ‘I could only reach her butler Paul Burrell. I asked him to get my urgent message to her.’ Diana called Marks in South Africa, and the two spoke briefly. ‘I felt bad because she was at a loose end,’ Marks said.
The Fateful Decision
With her plans in disarray, Diana accepted an invitation from Dodi Al Fayed for a second Mediterranean cruise on his superyacht, Jonikal. This decision set in motion the events that would ultimately lead to the tragic crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.
‘It was an extraordinary twist of fate that summer that those changed plans effectively altered the course of history,’ said Kate Snell, author of Diana: Her Last Love. ‘I think that’s particularly tragic because Diana was really at the beginning of this new chapter in her life. We just never got to see that.’
Marks later reflected on the unlikely confluence of factors that led to the trip’s cancellation. ‘The opportunity to be able to travel with the Princess of Wales is remarkable in itself,’ she said. ‘Then, not to be able to go is almost beyond belief. There are so few circumstances that could have prevailed to cancel such a trip.’
In the years since Diana’s death, Marks has focused on running her business and becoming a fixture in Palm Beach society. Her connection with Diana continues, immortalized by the untaken Italian vacation and their shared love of fashion. The Lana Marks brand still produces the Princess Diana handbag, a lasting tribute to their friendship.
