Yes, those photos of Princess Diana wearing a Philadelphia Eagles jacket are real.
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In the wake of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs this week, the late Princess of Wales’ iconic jacket has gone viral once again.
Some might assume the iconic pictures were photoshopped or altered. But Princess Diana did, in fact, own and wear a Philadelphia Eagles jacket in the early 1990s.
So, was she an Eagles fan? Well, sort of. The truth of the matter is a bit more diplomatic.
In 1982, Princess Diana attended the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco. The late actress-turned-royal, perhaps better known as Grace Kelly, was a native of Philadelphia. So, her funeral was attended by many members of Philly’s upper echelon, including Eagles statistician Jack Edelstein.
During the reception, Diana spoke with Edelstein about the team, though she admittedly didn’t know much about the American sport — thinking it was more like European “football.”
Princess Diana Became Famous For Wearing Philadelphia Eagles Gear — Despite Not Knowing Much About the Team
However, ever polite, the princess engaged with the NFL team member.
“She asked, ‘What are your colors?’” Edelstein recalled to the Philadelphia Daily News in 1997. “I said, ‘Green and silver.’ She said, ‘Those are my favorite colors.’”
He promised to send the princess some Eagles merchandise, and the team’s then-owner, Leonard Tose, insisted on a varsity jacket.
The piece ultimately became an iconic, one-of-a-kind fashion statement. Diana was photographed wearing the jacket several times in public prior to her death in 1997. She notably wore the coat to drop off her son, Prince Harry, at Wetherby Prep School in 1991, and also at an outing to Alton Towers Theme Park.
In fact, the starter jacket remained an untouchable legend of fashion until 2023, when designers Mitchell & Ness recreated the iconic look.
All sizes sold out in less than a day and one jacket signed by Kylie Kelce, wife of former Eagles center Jason Kelce, was sold for $100,000 during an auction in support of the Eagles Autism Foundation.
In celebration of the Eagles’ 2024-25 playoff run, the designer even re-released the jacket in a second limited run.
“Don’t miss your second chance at a piece that represents the intersectionality of fashion, sport and royalty,” they shared on Instagram.