Nancy Reagan had a knack for photo-ops. Maybe it was her show-biz background, maybe it was innate, but she always knew one when she saw one, and she gave us some great ones, to be sure. But one always stands out: The photo-op she orchestrated between John Travolta and Diana, Princess of Wales, at the White House in 1985.
It was Diana’s first trip to the United States, full of exclusive parties and the type of social obligations any newly royal 24-year-old would find tremendously exciting.The highlight of the trip was the star-studded White House Dinner.
Diana looked beautiful as always in her now-famous Victor Edelstein gown, but was apparently feeling quite uncomfortable and perhaps a bit awkward in a room with the super stars of every field. But that gown could’ve gone virtually unnoticed were it not for the First Lady.
She approached Travolta and asked if he would ask the Princess to dance. He did and it was even better than Nancy thought it would be. They had chemistry. They floated around the room together to a medley of songs from Travolta’s movie “Grease” and right into our collective memory.
Enjoy a nostalgic moment and listen to John Travolta reminisce in this YouTube video originally posted by Inside Edition:
