Never-before-seen pictures of Princess Diana
Princess Diana was called “The People’s Princess” not just because it was a nice title for her.
No, she earned that name through her kindness and charitable efforts, becoming a significant figure for the British public to look up to and find hope in during difficult times. As she famously stated, she didn’t want to be the Queen in name only, but the Queen in the hearts of the people.
The tragic car accident in Paris that led to her death is one of the most shocking moments in recent British history. Yet, even today, Princess Diana’s influence continues, not just through her sons William and Harry, but most importantly, in the hearts of many.
We’ve seen lots of wonderful pictures of Diana over the years – but there are also some images that haven’t been shared as much.
That doesn’t mean they aren’t just as incredible, though …
Princess Diana passed away at a very young age, and her life was filled with many challenges and difficulties. Unfortunately, she was constantly followed by the media and had a hard time in her personal life after becoming part of the royal family.
Princess Diana – raising Harry & William
Even with everything going on, Diana was a caring mother. She always prioritized William and Harry, wanting them to have a childhood that felt as normal as possible.
Princess Diana frequently took William and Harry to amusement parks and other enjoyable places. She understood what being royal meant, including having meals served to them at all times and the expectation to act like proper royal kids.
However, she also recognized how important it was for William and Harry to experience life like any other child. With this in mind, she would sometimes sneak them out of the palace for fast food.
“I remember the princess came into the kitchen one day and said, ‘Cancel lunch for the boys, I’m taking them out, we’re going to McDonald’s,” Diana’s former personal chef Darren McGrady shared with Marie Claire.
“And I said, ‘Oh my God – your Royal Highness, I can do that, I can do burgers.’ And she replied, ‘No, it’s the toy they want.’”
William and Harry loved spending time with their mom. She raised them to feel like they were just like any other kids, which in many ways, they truly were!
Recently, Prince William also talked about how Diana would drive them around, showing that she and her boys were, in many ways, just like any other regular family.
According to William, he often listens to Tina Turner to keep many memories of his mother, Princess Diana, alive.
William mentioned that the song The Best reminds him of his childhood, especially how his mother would play it in the car to help calm his nerves.
“When I was younger, Harry and I were at boarding school. My mother used to play all kinds of songs to help ease the anxiety of going back to school,” Prince William shared.
“One song that I really remember and that has stuck with me all this time, and I still enjoy it secretly, is Tina Turner’s ‘The Best’ because sitting in the backseat, singing along, felt like a true family moment.
“My mother would be driving, singing at the top of her lungs. Even the policeman in the car would sometimes join in and sing along too.”
The future king added: “You’d be singing and listening to the music all the way to the school gates when they dropped you off. Now, when I hear it, it takes me back to those car rides and brings back so many memories of my mother.”
Diana always endeavored to be the best mom possible and knew that brothers could and would fight with one another from time to time.
Wanted her sons to always be best friends
Royal historian Robert Lacey once shared some interesting facts about Harry and William’s childhood, especially how their mom wanted them to make a big promise.
In his book Battle of Brothers, Lacey talks about the strong bond that William and Harry formed during their early years and teenage times. Princess Diana really wanted them to stay close as they grew up – she asked the boys to promise they would always be “best friends.”
In the book, Lacey mentions a psychic named Simone Simmons, who used to talk to Diana.
“You must promise me that you will always be each other’s best friends,” Simmons said Diana told her sons. “And never let anyone come between you.”
“Both boys promised they would stick to that,” Simmons remembered. “They high-fived each other and gave their mom a big hug.
“‘Anyone would have melted at the sight,” she said. “Then they went out to play soccer.”
From the beginning, it was clear that royal life wasn’t the end of the world for Diana. Her children always took priority, and she wanted to protect them from whatever might come between them.
That even included the Royal Family itself – Diana was reportedly worried that the Queen and Charles were plotting to separate her from her children.
William & Harry unveiled statue of their mother
William and Harry might have promised Diana something, but their relationship has been pretty bad lately, starting with Harry’s choice to leave the Royal Family in 2020.
A year ago, on what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday, William and Harry came together to reveal a new statue of their late mother. The bronze sculpture shows Diana with three children and is located in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, where she used to live in London.
“Today, on what would have been our mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength, and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better,” William and Harry said in a joint statement.
“Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy.”
This year marked 25 years since Princess Diana passed away. William and Harry made sure to pay tribute to their beloved mother, but they did it in different ways.
According to a royal source who talked to People Magazine, William spent the day quietly with his wife, Kate Middleton, in Windsor.
Ahead of the anniversary on August 31, Harry spoke about his mother, saying he hoped to make her proud.
Princess Diana – Charles affair with Camilla
“I want this day to be all about remembering her amazing work and the love she put into everything,” Harry said on the anniversary. “I want it to be a day where I can share my mum’s spirit with my family and my kids, who I really wish could have known her. Every single day, I try to make her proud.”
Even though Diana lived a very public life, she had personal struggles just like anyone else. One of her biggest challenges was her relationship with her husband, Prince Charles.
Just a few years after they got married, Charles started seeing Camilla, who would eventually become his wife.
As mentioned in Prince Charles’ authorized biography, which was quoted by Town & Country, their affair began in 1986. At that time, Charles was still married to Princess Diana, and she found out about it.
In 1989, Diana confronted Camilla about the affair, telling her to stay away.
“I understand what’s happening between you and Charles, and I just want you to be aware of that,” Camilla remembered Diana saying, as reported by Town & Country.
“[Diana] told me: ‘You have everything you’ve ever dreamed of. All the guys in the world are in love with you, and you have two lovely kids. What else do you need?’
“So I replied, ‘I want my husband.’ And I added, ‘I’m sorry if I’m causing trouble, and it must be really tough for both of you. But I do know what’s happening. Don’t treat me like I’m clueless,'” Diana said, according to Camilla.
The Queen broke royal protocol at Diana’s funeral
From the public’s point of view, everything seemed normal, but soon enough, Charles and Diana’s fairytale life became a thing of the past. In 1992, they announced they were separating, but both of them kept doing their royal duties. Then, in August 1996, they finally agreed on the divorce.
Diana received a good settlement and was allowed to keep her apartment at Kensington Palace along with her title of “Princess of Wales.” However, she decided to give up her title of “Royal Highness” and any future claim to the throne.
Diana’s death shocked the whole country and the world. Her funeral took place on September 6, 1997, at Westminster Abbey, and she was buried at her family’s home, Althorp Park.
Princess Diana’s funeral had over 2000 guests. After the ceremony, her coffin was taken through London, allowing the British people to say goodbye to their beloved Princess one last time.
Interestingly, the Queen never had to bow to anyone. But at Diana’s funeral, she broke royal tradition by bowing her head to the late Princess’s coffin as it went by on a gun carriage. This was the only time Queen Elizabeth broke that royal rule.
Rare photos of Princess Diana
Throughout much of her royal life, Diana was constantly pursued by the paparazzi; it’s fair to say she became the most photographed person in the world during that time.
In summary, everyone wanted a piece of Diana. According to The Guardian, tabloids were willing to pay as much as $500,000 for blurry photos of her.
Her sons, William and Harry, experienced both sides of how the media treated their mother. Harry mentioned that he considered leaving the Royal Family in his early 20s, partly because of how he saw his mother being treated before she passed away.
“Look at what it did to my mum, how can I ever settle down and have a wife and kids when I know it could happen again?” Harry said. “I don’t want to be part of this.”
Despite that, many famous photos of Princess Diana were captured over the years. While some were taken by paparazzi eager to sell her images, there are also photos that radiate warmth and provide a beautiful glimpse into Diana’s life and career.
A look through the archives reveals hundreds of never-before-seen images of the cherished late Princess. We’ve gathered some of them to showcase a side of Diana that is not often highlighted.
Diana became something of a style icon at the height of her fame, and she took that with her to the slopes while skiing.
Skiing trips, sunbathing & humanitarian work
Below we see Diana on a skiing trip to Austria with her sons, Harry and William. This picture was taken as Harry had turned nine years old. He sure is adorable – and the whole family looks stunning!
In 1990, Diana and her kids, along with her sister’s kids, visited Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. The island was owned by Richard Branson from Virgin.
Dian sure knew how to have fun. Look at this beautiful picture of when she and Harry visited the amusement park Thorpe Park, in 1992.
Diana was often referred to as “The People’s Princess”. She participated in many humanitarian efforts, setting an excellent standard for how a kind and compassionate person should behave. Here, Princess Diana is seen visiting an Orthopedic workshop in Luanda, Angola, sitting with victims of land mines.
We can go on and on about these beautiful pictures of Diana. This one was taken in 1971, when she was on a summer holiday in Itchenor, West Sussex.
This one, meanwhile, was taken outside Diana’s flat in Coleherne Court, London, before her engagement to Charles.
Here, Harry is seen sticking out his tongue to people gathered around Buckingham Palace. Diana looks somewhat surprised.
The clothing brand Barbour remains popular with royals, but maybe Princess Diana wore it the best.
Diana was a big fan of Barbour, and when she visited the Outer Hebrides in Scotland in 1985, it was the ideal moment to show off her Barbour-style waxed cotton jacket.
Jayne Fincher, a photographer for the royals who captured some of Princess Diana’s most famous pictures, followed the royal couple everywhere they went. She even rented a plane to reach the Outer Hebrides, where Charles and Diana were visiting officially.
“When I finally got there,” Fincher recalls, “Charles asked, ‘Where have you been?’
The Outer Hebrides are known for their strong winds and heavy rain, and Princess Diana experienced some of that during her trip in 1985.
However, she looked amazing in the pictures from that visit, and photographer Jayne realized something important after looking at the negatives.
“You don’t often see Diana dressed like that. She seemed so joyful. It was raining heavily, but her makeup stayed perfect and didn’t smudge. I, on the other hand, looked like a mess, as usual,” she said.
The picture below shows Diana during her last summer. In it, she is with her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed on a boat in St. Tropez, France, and they are jumping into the water.
We will always remember Diana as a genuinely kind and wonderful human being.
So please, share this article on Facebook with friends and family to honor her!