“She Just Wanted a Wicked Night Out”: The Night Freddie Mercury Smuggled Princess Diana Into a Gay Bar

It sounds like the plot of a British comedy — but it’s one of the most charmingly rebellious true stories of the late 1980s. One night, Freddie Mercury, the flamboyant frontman of Queen, pulled off an act of royal mischief that has since become rock-and-royalty legend: he smuggled Princess Diana into a London gay bar, where she spent several hours undetected, disguised as “one of the lads.”

The tale, first recounted by comedian and actress Cleo Rocos in her 2013 memoir The Power of Positive Drinking, captures the unlikely friendship between the Princess of Wales and some of Britain’s most colorful entertainers — and the rare night she escaped her royal confines for what she described as simply “a wicked night out.”

🎭 The Secret Mission

The escapade began one evening in the late 1980s at the home of comedian and radio host Kenny Everett, a close friend of both Mercury and Diana. Also present were Rocos and Mercury himself.

As the group enjoyed drinks and laughter, the plan for a night out at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) — one of London’s oldest and most vibrant gay bars — came up. The RVT was legendary for its raucous drag performances and exuberant crowds. When Diana overheard the plan, she surprised everyone by insisting she wanted to come along.

Everett immediately objected, reportedly warning, “It’s not for you… it’s full of hairy gay men.” But the princess wouldn’t be deterred. As Rocos later put it, Diana was “in full mischief mode.”

That’s when Freddie Mercury, ever the fearless ringleader, sealed the deal with a grin and a line that’s since gone down in pop culture history:

“Go on, let the girl have some fun.”

🕶️ The Disguise

A disguise was quickly assembled from what was lying around Everett’s home. Diana donned an army jacket, a black leather cap, and dark aviator sunglasses — an outfit that transformed the world’s most photographed woman into what Rocos called “a rather beautiful young man.”

The trio — Mercury, Everett, and Diana, with Rocos in tow — piled into a car and headed for the RVT in South London.

🤫 Inside the Royal Vauxhall Tavern

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern was packed, noisy, and electric — just the kind of place where even celebrities could blend into the crowd. Mercury and Everett, both beloved fixtures of the London gay scene, drew much of the attention. Meanwhile, Diana slipped quietly to the bar, ordered a drink — reportedly a white wine or a beer — and soaked in the experience of anonymity.

“She was giggling like a schoolgirl,” Rocos recalled. “She just wanted the freedom to be ordinary for a few hours — to order a drink, laugh, and not be watched.”

Accounts differ on how long the group stayed. Some say they were there for no more than 20 minutes; others recall a few carefree hours. What’s certain is that Diana’s disguise worked flawlessly. No one recognized the future Queen of Hearts — not even in a crowded bar full of people who adored her.

🌟 A Moment of Freedom

The escapade quickly passed into legend, becoming one of the most talked-about stories about Princess Diana’s playful, adventurous nature. It revealed the side of her that so many loved — curious, spontaneous, and unafraid to step outside royal boundaries for a taste of normal life.

For Freddie Mercury, it was an act of friendship and rebellion — helping a fellow icon slip free, if only for one night, from the scrutiny of fame.

As Rocos later reflected, “Diana and Freddie were laughing all night. For a few hours, she wasn’t a princess. She was just Diana — one of us.”

👑 Legacy of a “Wicked Night Out”

Decades later, the story endures not just for its mischief, but for what it represents: a fleeting moment of freedom for two of Britain’s most beloved figures, united by a shared sense of humor and humanity.

In a world where both lived under constant public gaze, Freddie Mercury and Princess Diana found, for one evening in a South London bar, something priceless — the joy of being unseen.