When the most famous and the most glamorous woman in the world, took delivery of an XJ-S cabriolet V12 in 1987, Diana, Princess of Wales, gave the struggling British car manufacturer, Jaguar a much needed boost.

Because Diana was a young mother of two small children, the two-seater cabriolet wasn’t really the ideal car, hardly practical. However, when you’re next in-line to be the Queen of England, you have some sway, and so she had one made to order with some unique and significant changes to the normal car. The standard car was a two seater, but but Diana's was similar to later XJ convertibles from the mid-Nineties, her car was fitted with two small rear seats.  Diana also requested Jaguar make a fixed rear hardtop so the two young Princes would not strike their heads on the solid targa roof bar in the event of an accident.  Diana also requested personalised leather and Harris Tweed seat upholstery, and she also wanted the American-export style, four-round-headlights.

Princess Diana enjoyed driving her Jaguar so much that, her protection officer was often relegated to the front passenger seat, watching her doing the driving.  The car was ordered in British Racing green to match Prince Charles’ Aston Martin V8 Volante that he had at the same time, a romantic notion that was doomed to failure, as the XJ-S was also a witness to the breakdown of the royal marriage. 

In September 1990, Prince William started boarding school and Diana drove him there in the Jaguar. Prince Charles drove himself there in his Aston, both cars arrived via the school’s back entrance. Princess Diana and the young Prince William transferred to,the Aston before driving in front of the waiting press together.

Eventually the two Princes grew to large for the back seats of the Jaguar and in 1991 Diana, replaced the XJ-SC with a Mercedes-Benz 500SL, a controversial decision, as that was the first time in many years that a member of the Royal Family had a foreign car. But with her decision to choose the Jaguar initially, Diana showed that an open XJ-S was a car fit for a Princess. Diana donated the XJ-SC to the Jaguar Heritage Trust, where it remains to this day. 

Registration Mark: E763 KYX. Chassis Number: SAJJNACW3CA142613. 
Owner: The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust