What Happened To Diane Von Fürstenberg's Royal First Husband?

Diane von Fürstenberg is known to many as the iconic designer who pioneered the wrap dress, but she was also a princess once. Her first husband, Prince Egon von Fürstenberg, came from a German noble family, and while they divorced in the '80s, they remained close. Tragically, however, he died when he was in his 50s. 

Diane and Egon met when they were economics students at the University of Geneva and married in 1969. Sadly, the fact that Diane was Jewish meant there was significant pushback from the family, and she wrote in "Diane: A Signature Life" that even though their wedding reception had welcomed a whopping 500 guests, her father-in-law was pressured by the head of the family to refuse to attend it. 

Disapproval or not, Diane and Egon would go on to become one of the most glamorous couples of the 1970s, even earning the title of "this week's couple of the year" from New York Magazine in February 1973. Unfortunately, in "Diane: A Signature Life," Diane wrote of the magazine profile, "That article would bring about the beginning of the end of our marriage." In particular, Diane mentioned that Egon's flippant comments in the profile about infidelity had broken her heart, but that she had pretended to be fine with it. "I continued to smile and act cool," she wrote. The couple separated in 1972, but wouldn't officially divorce until nearly a decade later. Through it all, they remained very close friends, and in 1981, Egon told People, "Our friendship is forever." That remained so for many years, even after marrying his second wife, Lynn Marshall, and he and his ex would continue to be in one another's lives right until he passed away in 2004. 

Devastatingly, Egon von Furstenberg was only 57 years old when he passed away. At the time of his death in 2004, his loved ones declined to provide the official cause of his death, though one friend shared that he'd had bronchitis. There was also one claim that he had liver cancer. However, in the 2024 documentary "Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge," the fashion designer revealed that he'd actually died of AIDS complications. Diane also shared that she and their kids were with him when he died, and that she'd even been the one who "closed his eyes." "I loved him. I never stopped loving him," she said. 

Like Diane, Egon worked in fashion and had his own eponymous label. Rather than that making him and his ex-wife competitors, though, Egon told People in 1981 that Diane had been very supportive. In fact, he recounted her telling him, "You always push others. Why don't you push yourself?" Diane wasn't the only family member to advocate for Egon either, and per his brand's website, their children have ensured his atelier has continued to release new collections over the years. 

Diane married extremely wealthy media mogul Barry Diller in 2001, and has long referred to him as her "soulmate." However, she continues to honor her first husband's memory, even sharing a sweet tribute to Egon via Instagram to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his passing in 2024. "Every member of your dynasty, children and grandchildren honor you and your spirit every moment by being the people they have become! You would be proud of all of them! ... Thank you for making it happen ... You started it! LOVE is LIFE," she gushed. We'll raise a glass to a friendship that outlasted a lifetime.