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Jennifer Connelly Shares a Rare Princess Diana Throwback on IG—with a Surprise Nod to William & Kate

ICYMI, Jennifer Connelly recently joined Instagram. (Hi, Jennifer!) And just ahead of the royal premiere of Top Gun: Maverick—which Connelly stars in opposite Tom Cruise—in the U.K. this week, Connelly surprised (and delighted) us with the best-ever royal throwback: A pic of her meeting Princess Diana at her first royal premiere for Labyrinth in 1986.

The pic shows a young Connelly listening attentively as Diana speaks. The pair both look deep in conversation with Ludo (a kind—and gigantic—beast and character in the film) making a cameo at their side. According to news reports from 1986, pics of Diana and Ludo featured prominently in newspapers the following day.

Connelly captioned the pic: “My last time at a Royal Premiere! Meeting Princess Diana at the Royal Premiere of Labyrinth in 1986. Honored to be attending the Royal Premiere of Top Gun tonight.”

jennifer connelly kate middleton top gun premiere
Karwai Tang/Getty Images

Kudos to Connelly for connecting the dots between Labyrinth and the Top Gun: Maverick premiere at the Leicester Square Gardens almost four decades later. Of course, this time it was Prince William and Kate Middleton who brought the dazzling glamour in black and white.

No, Ludo wasn’t there to steal the spotlight at this royal screening, but there was an actual fighter jet on the red carpet next to Connelly and the Cambridges. (Not a bad upgrade if you ask us.)

On the heels of the James Bond screening last November—when Kate wore that glittering Jenny Packham gown—is anyone else hoping royal movie premieres become a mainstay? Per Connelly’s throwback, they’ve clearly always found a way to make a splash.

For more about the royals, listen to the Royally Obsessed podcast with co-hosts Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito. Subscribe now or follow us on Instagram @royallyobsessedpodcast.



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Royal family expert, a cappella alum, mom

Rachel Bowie is Senior Director of Special Projects & Royals at PureWow, where she covers parenting, fashion, wellness and money in addition to overseeing initiatives within...