The frontman Princess Diana wolf-whistled at: “I’d recognise that bum anywhere”
Writing about pop and rock music so much as I do in this job, I’m accustomed to likening some of those with perhaps a more ebullient persona to those with a royal title.
But rarely do the two actually cross over. Sure, there may be the story of the odd regal performance or run-in, but you would hardly expect to find a real princess wolf-whistling a pop prince down in the gym. However, patently in an utter break from convention, that did once actually happen, probably to the absolute horror of the royal courts. But then again, there really was no one like Princess Diana.
Of course, it goes without saying that many of the upper echelons of the British royal family, even to this day, embody backwards ideals of the stiff upper lip and, in areas, even more questionable ethics. That was where the people’s princess came in to refresh the complete tired institution, breaking down barriers and also proving that beneath the pomp and regalia, they were nothing more than just normal people.
Yet even still, wolf-whistling at a pop star in the gym might not have been what anyone expected, even with her insistence on breaking the mould. However, it was equally nice to know that the princess was just as much of a fan of the pop sphere as the rest of the world – and when it came to Duran Duran, the infatuation extended far beyond just the music itself, and went straight to the bum of Simon LeBon.
As one of the biggest pop music proteges of that era, LeBon had, naturally, met Princess Diana on numerous occasions under much more formal pretences. But it was an interaction at his fitness club in Chelsea that left the greatest imprint on his memory, not least because he was actually left feeling a little self-conscious. “She and I used to go to the same fitness club, Chelsea Harbour in London,” he once explained to The Times. “One day I was on the running machine. I jumped off because one of my shoelaces had come undone.”
Sounds innocent and mundane enough, but the princess obviously had other ideas. She wolf-whistled at me across the room,” LeBon continued, “and yelled, like a brickie, ‘Nice legs! I’d recognize that bum anywhere!’. I was quite taken aback, actually, and quietly got back on the machine with a red face.” In an instant, any ounce of royal procedure immediately melted away – mainly because Diana forced it to, while also leaving LeBon a little red-faced.
Much like the famous Duran Duran song itself suggests, Princess Diana largely just wanted to live in an ordinary world. She did that by blitzing a force through her life and bringing people down the odd peg or two where necessary, not least LeBon in the gym altercation. Whether the man himself would want to be remembered more for his music or his bum is another question, but there’s no denying it’s a story he will never forget.
