Philadelphia has gone wild! Just a few weeks ago, on January 29th 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles won against the San Francisco 49ers which allowed them to play in the Superbowl. Philadelphia is notorious for their sports fans and the wild outfits they wear to the games, however there is one fan who sported one of the most iconic fashion pieces in Eagles history. This fan is none other than Princess Diana and her varsity style Eagles jacket which she wore multiple times in the 80s and 90s.
https://people.com/royals/princess-diana-philadelphia-eagles-jacket-connection-princess-grace/
The story of this iconic green jacket begins with the loss of another icon, Grace Kelly. Princess Diana attended Grace Kelly’s funeral as Kelly was also part of royalty when she married Prince Rainer III. Before Kelly’s time in Hollywood and royalty, she was a native Philadelphian. She grew up in East Falls and lived there until Prince Rainer III proposed to her in 1950, 20 years after the Eagles became a team.
Another attendee of Grace Kelly’s funeral was Jack Edelstine. He was a statistician for the Eagles for 30 years and had his connections to Hollywood from being a friend of Kelly’s brother to even dating Marilyn Monroe. This was just another supporting factor that brought the Eagles logo into Hollywood and made the team popular. Princess Diana and Edelstine met at the funeral, and she asked him about his occupation as she was curious about American football and continued discussing the Eagles with Edelstine. Stated in the Philadelphia Inquirer, "She thought football was like soccer," [Edelstine] said. "She asked, 'What are your colors?' I said, 'Green and silver.' She said, 'Those are my favorite colors.'" Thus, Edelstine offered to give Princess Diana Eagles gear. Later, Edelstine contacted Leonard Tose, owner of the Eagles from 1969-1985, and told him of Princess Diana’s interest in the Eagles. After speaking to Edelstine, Tose decided it would be fitting to gift her a custom Eagles jacket. Though she did not know much about American football, she loved the look of the Eagles green. After receiving the jacket, she wrote a handwritten note exclaiming her appreciation back to Philadelphia. The jacket inspired many others in Britain to sport Eagles gear. The Eagles jacket became even more popular when Princess Diana was seen wearing it on the cover of People’s magazine in 1994. After the magazine release, everyone had to have the jacket. It’s one of a kind look that was appealing to everyone, Eagles’ fan or not. Additionally, framed photographs of Princess Diana in the jacket can be seen at bars throughout the city.
https://pagesix.com/article/the-story-behind-princess-dianas-philadelphia-eagles-jacket/
For Princess Diana, the jacket furthered her fashion sense as she said it was, "that little bit of extra edge." Princess Diana’s style, when not in formal royal attire, was very casual and embodied 80s athleisure. She was usually spotted in a pair of sneakers, Levi’s jeans, and a crewneck. Her fashion sense was another way for the Princess to break away from her stressful royal life. She wanted to be seen as a different type of royal and used her fashion to convey her struggles in the spotlight.
Football fan or not, Princess Diana gave the Eagles a wave of popularity just by wearing a jacket of her favorite colors. As the Eagles play in Superbowl LVI, many fans will watch, many wearing the popular varsity jacket, however very few know the star-studded story. Was Princess Diana a true fan? That question is still up for debate. Nevertheless, Go Birds!
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