John Travolta is reminiscing about his legendary White House dance with Princess Diana more than three decades ago, calling it a "very special, magical moment."
Everett/Shutterstock
During a chat with Esquire Spain for a cover story, the "Pulp Fiction" star was asked about that evening in 1985, in which he and the royal separately attended a gala dinner for then-president Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan.
"I didn't think they'd ask me to dance with her. I had the great privilege and honor of doing so, and I thought, 'There must be a reason for doing this and I better give it my all,'" John said. "This meant guiding the dance well and seeking to have fun. That was the easy part, but introducing myself to Diana in the proper way, conveying assurance, and asking her to be my dance partner was a complicated mission."
Remembering that he was nervous and well aware of the magnitude of the occasion, John said there was a palpable energy in the room that evening.
"Think of the moment. We are in the White House. It's midnight. The whole stage is like a dream," he said. "I go up to her, touch her on the shoulder, ask her to dance. She turns around and when she sees me she displays that captivating smile, somewhat sad, and accepts my invitation. And there we were, dancing together like in a fairy tale."
Everett/Shutterstock
Something told John that dancing with Diana, who was there with then-husband Prince Charles, was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Who could imagine that something like this is going to happen to you one day?" he mused. "I was smart enough to register it in my memory as a very special, magical moment."
Eleven years after John's dance, Diana and Charles divorced. One year after that, in 1997, she was killed in a car accident at the age of 36.
