Former England Rugby captain Will Carling has discussed his connection with Princess Diana in an interview.
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The 58-year-old addressed speculation surrounding their relationship, maintaining that they were merely friends despite rumours of a romantic involvement
Carling, known for his notable career in rugby and off-field controversies, became the youngest-ever England skipper.
He led his team to three grand slam victories and a second-place finish in the 1991 Rugby World Cup. However, it was his activities beyond the sport that often made headlines.
Carling met Diana in 1994 while working out in the gym at Chelsea Harbour Club. Diana went up to him as he was doing sit-ups and joked, ‘You don’t know how to work your abdominals properly’.
When it was disclosed that her husband was visiting the Princess at Kensington Palace, his tell-tale blue Range Rover spotted in the car park, Julia publicly fired a warning shot at Diana, declaring that she had ‘picked the wrong couple’.
Julia added: ‘It would be easy to say she’s ruined my marriage, but it takes two to tango and I blame Will for getting involved in the first place.’ The following year they were divorced.
As part of an interview with The Telegraph, the ex-Harlequins ace addressed claims that he had an affair with Princess Diana.
When asked about the rumoured relationship, Carling, who was married at the time, said: “Front page is very different from back page. Yeah, it was not nice.
“Hey, a lot of that is my own fault, you can’t complain. You have to learn.
“Relationships that I got wrong… so, that’s what they got fascinated by. You look back on it and you think it was all blown out of all proportion, but it made a good story.
“It wasn’t very pleasant; it was a fairly traumatic time.”
What England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup heroes look like now, some are very different
Sir Clive Woodward’s England lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy for the first – and so far only – time in 2003, after a Jonny Wilkinson drop goal in extra time.
Woodward’s side are still the only northern hemisphere side to win the World Cup, with the other nine tournaments won by South Africa (four), New Zealand (three) and Australia (two).
In a video posted by England Rugby’s Instagram account, Wilkinson – who scored the all important drop goal 28 seconds from time – said: ‘It’s great being back with all the guys from the squad 20 years on.
‘It’s great to be able to see everyone, and to get a feel of what everyone’s been up to, but also to I guess get a feel for why we were able to do what we did 20 years ago, because it still lives on in everyone.’
Take a look at how some of the key players look now:
Phil Vickery
A former Gloucester and London Wasps prop, Phil Vickery called time on his career at the end of the 2010 Premiership season. The two-time British & Irish Lion was a revered opponent across the world, and has since started a successful clothing brand ‘Raging Bull’, with his on-field nickname. Vickery was forced into retirement due to a series of neck injuries, and in 2012 he joined Worcester Warriors as their Scrum Coach.
Vickery has also tried his hand at sports broadcasting, as he was apart of the commentary team for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. His on-screen appearances have also been witnessed across a variety of TV shows, including ‘Celebrity MasterChef’, which he won in 2011. An eternal fan favourite at Kingsholm Stadium, Vickery was appointed the title of Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire in 2015.
Jonny Wilkinson
Renowned for his iconic drop-goal that secured victory against Australia in the 2003 final, Wilkinson transitioned into a coaching role with Toulon, focusing on kicking and skills development following his retirement. He also now works as a pundit for ITV Sport during Rugby World Cup’s and the Six Nations.
Will Greenwood
Greenwood continued to shine on the international stage following the 2003 glory, and went on to represent the British & Irish Lions for their 2005 tour to New Zealand. He ended his career at Harlequins in 2006, and soon gave his experienced views through analysis and punditry. Greenwood co-hosted the ‘School of Hard Knocks’ TV series with former Wales international Scott Quinnell, and was an on-screen analyst for ITV as England reached the final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Will has also explored opportunities away from rugby, and is the current Chief Customer Officer for data and software company Afiniti’s London office. Greenwood’s family was struck with tragedy, after his son Freddie died just 45 minutes after being born. The former England centre underwent an inspirational walk to the North Pole in memory of his son, and helped to raise over £750,000 for Borne’s research. Greenwood is a patron of Borne, who are a medical research charity that work with cases of premature birth. He is also a patron of Child Bereavement UK, which is a charity that support parents who have lost a child.