Why Princess Diana Refused to Appear on the Cover of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s Magazine
John F. Kennedy Jr.was determined to make a name for himself, and that led to the creation of his political/pop culture magazine called George. Looking for high-profile celebrities that fit the brand, JFK. Jr. asked Princess Diana to grace the cover, but she refused.
In an excerpt of Caroline Hallemann's The Kennedys and theWindsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made, posted by Vanity Fair, it details why Princess Diana turned down the offer. JFK Jr. was looking for someone who melded their celebrity status with their political life perfectly, and none was more perfect than Princess Diana at the time.
"Lady Di, at that moment, was a perfect example of that because she was a symbol of the intersection of those things. She was a celebrity, a royal who had a defined role, but she also had a personal and political mission. She had ideas about how she wanted to help the world. She had her own feelings about her service, at least that's the perspective that I got from her," said artist Sasha Chermayeff, a close friend of Kennedy.
Princess Diana and JFK Jr. were seen as parallels of each other with a "quiet aura" and complicated legacies. According to the book, JFK Jr. penned a letter to her asking for a meeting, with Princess Diana having been "keen on the idea."
The two met while Princess Diana was in New York in December 1995 at the Carlyle Hotel. While JFK Jr. was enamored by her and pitched his cover idea, the conversation was reportedly over before it started. Princess Diana decided to turn down the opportunity, feeling like the magazine needed to be more successful before she could be the face of it.
"Well, you know, this is all very nice, John. Thank you. But I hope you'll forgive me if I don't take up the opportunity this time, but would love to maybe for your fiftieth or your hundredth issue or something," she said.
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JFK Jr. quickly realized her decision was final and moved on to another topic of discussion. The book alleges that Princess Diana took the meeting because she wanted to learn more about his upbrining, in the hopes of raising her two sons the same way Jackie Kennedy did.
In the end, Princess Diana also gave him a note saying she would grace the cover in the future. For the first issue of George, model Cindy Crawford appeared on the cover in a midriff‑baring George Washington–meets–pinup girl ensemble.
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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 1:02 PM.