Known as the People’s Princess, late Princess Diana was loved by millions. She was a very special person who touched the hearts of many with her spontaneous behavior and the love she had for everyone around her, whether rich or poor, young or old.
This incredible woman rose to prominence upon her engagement to Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son and heir apparent to the British throne, now King Charles. From the moment the world learned of her, she was under constant scrutiny. The paparazzi followed her every move, and according to many, their relentless pursuit contributed to her tragic death.
Lady Di was a devoted mother who was willing to do everything for her children, Prince William and Prince Harry. She demonstrated that her kids were her top priority, even more important than royal protocol, by breaking tradition and attending school games where she competed alongside other parents.
On the day she lost her life, August, 1997, she was running away from the paparazzi.
Her death shocked the entire world, especially her children, Princes William and Harry who walked behind her casket on the day of her funeral; an image many Britons could never forget.
Over the years, Diana traveled extensively, leaving an indelible mark on history captured through lenses worldwide. One of the most iconic photographs of her was taken in 1992 during her visit to India, specifically at the Taj Mahal.
Then-President Ramaswamy Venkataraman greeted her upon arrival, and during her trip, she attended the inauguration of the Taman Special School for children. Meanwhile, Prince Charles was attending a business meeting in Bangalore, allowing Diana to pursue her own activities.
Among these was a visit to the Taj Mahal, but the iconic photo later evoked mixed emotions.
Built between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, Taj Mahal was to be a memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is described by UNESCO as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”
Princess Diana posed seated on a bench with the grand mausoleum towering behind her. She wore a red jacket, a purple skirt, and coordinated shoes, a look that has been emulated by many since.
Anwar Hussein, a royal photographer who was on-site, reflected on this significant occasion in an interview with People in 2022. He mentioned that it wasn’t the first time he had captured a royal in front of this historic monument.
“The Taj Mahal exists as the eternal monument of a husband’s love,” Hussein said. “I photographed Charles there just before he got engaged. He said to us then, ‘I’d like to bring my girlfriend or future wife here one day.’”
Sadly, mere months after this iconic photo was taken, Diana was killed in a car crash.
During their visit to India, rumors about Diana and Charles’ marriage falling apart were widespread. Despite their conflicting schedules and engagements, there was anticipation that they would visit the Taj Mahal together. However, as we now know, that didn’t happen.
“We didn’t know if [Princess Diana] would come. She kept us waiting for a long time,” Anwar Hussein told People. “It was really, really hot there. She looked sad, and she knew which way the story would go. She was very clever. There were other pictures taken that day on another bench when she seemed to be contemplating things.”
Speaking of visiting the mausoleum at the time, Lady Di said, “It was a fascinating experience – very healing.” Wanting to know more, reporters wanted her to be more specific. With a smile on her face, she replied: “Work it out for yourself.”
When this famous photo emerged, no matter how stunningly beautiful she looked on it, was dubbed as “broken hearts” by some.
“That picture of her as a lonely, neglected, beautiful girl who didn’t have anyone to love her back just broke everybody’s hearts,” royal biographer and journalist Tina Brown said in the CNN documentary series The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty.
“She knew what she was doing. And it made Charles absolutely crazy.”
The picture somehow became a symbol of the beginning of the end of the marriage between Charles and Diana, and Diana didn’t even want to take it in the first place.
“The point was, this was during the visit, it was the joint visit with her and the Prince of Wales,” her former security officer Ken Wharfe said, as reported by Express. “The Prince of Wales, understandably, didn’t want to sit on that seat with his wife as it was the temple of love.”
He added: “Of course, the media interest was always on Diana, right through her life, together with the Prince of Wales. This was a big problem for him. He wanted that media attention but, of course, the focus was on Diana, for obvious reasons.”
Princess Diana isn’t the only royal who has ever taken a photo in front of the Tj Mahal. During a visit to India in 2016, Prince William and Kate Middleton posed at the exact same place.
“The Duke of Cambridge is, of course, aware of the huge esteem his mother, the late Princess of Wales, is held in India, and he appreciates the iconic status of the images that exist of the princess at the Taj,” the statement by the Prince’s spokesman read at the time.
“He feels incredibly lucky to visit a place where his mother’s memory is kept alive by so many who travel there.”
However, when Meghan was about to travel to India while she and Harry dated, he asked her not to pose in front of the famous building. Have not been aware of Harry’s late mother’s iconic photo, Meghan was baffled by his request.
“‘Do not take a photo in front of the Taj Mahal.’ She’d asked why and I’d said: ‘My mum.’ I’d explained that my mother had posed for a photo there, and it had become iconic, and I didn’t want anyone thinking Meg was trying to mimic my mother,” Harry wrote in his book Spare. “Meg had never heard of this photo, and found the whole thing baffling, and I loved her for being baffled.”
In Spare, Harry also wrote about his mother’s death and how that affected him.
“Everyone knows where they were and what they were doing the night my mother died,” Harry stated.
“I cried once, at the burial, and you know I go into detail about how strange it was and how actually there was some guilt that I felt and I think William felt as well, by walking around the outside of Kensington Palace.”
“There were 50,000 bouquets of flowers to our mother and there we were shaking people’s hands, smiling,” he continued. “I’ve seen the videos, right, I looked back over it all. And the wet hands that we were shaking, we couldn’t understand why their hands were wet, but it was all the tears that they were wiping away.”
Being just 12 and 15 at the time, Harry and William walked behind their mother’s coffin. Harry later slammed that decision made by the Palace.
“My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television,” he told Newsweek in 2017. “I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”
Princess Diana truly was one of a kind. May she rest in peace.
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