A royal and a Hollywood star: Why Princess Diana wouldn't date Tom Cruise

When Tom met Diana, his efforts to impress the princess fell short. Photo / Getty Images

Princess Diana wouldn't date Tom Cruise because he was "too short".

The late royal - who died in a car accident in 1997 aged 37 - took her two sons, Princes William and Harry, to the set of the Hollywood star's 1996 action blockbuster Mission: Impossible. Though they got to meet the actor, now 59, Diana had no romantic interest in him because she was unimpressed by his 5ft 7in (174cm) stature.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady - who worked at Buckingham Palace for 11 years - tweeted: "I remember Princess Diana taking the boys to the set of Mission Impossible and to meet Tom Cruise.

"Wills and Harry loved the pyrotechnics. But Princess Diana… 'That's another one off the list Darren. He's too short!'(sic)"

Darren made his comments shortly after it was revealed Tom had treated royals including William and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, to a private screening of his new movie Top Gun: Maverick.

The couple were joined by the prince's cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and aunt Sophie, Countess of Wessex, for an exclusive preview of the highly-anticipated sequel.

Cruise offered William the chance to be among the first in the world to see the film after learning he was a fan of the original 1986 movie and arranged the private screening at an IMAX cinema off London's Leicester Square.

A source said: "It's a very unlikely movie premiere, but Tom made the offer after learning William is a fan. They happily accepted. Let's face it, guests don't get much more A-list!
"The rest of the cinema was shut to ensure privacy and William, Kate and a few other members of the royal family — plus a couple of very trusted friends — were the first to see it.

"Tom welcomed them and said he hoped they'd enjoy watching it as much as he'd enjoyed making it, and left them to it."

The movie was said to be a hit with the royal audience.

The source added: "Apparently, it was met with royal approval — not least because William has been a military pilot himself so it's pretty close to his heart.

"It's also a mega-bucks film with some of the most incredible stunts ever performed on camera so it lives up to the hype."