On 4 March this year, two white-gloved curators hung a portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales on the walls of Kensington Palace. While photos of the late royal aren’t rare – in the 1990s, she was one of the most photographed women alive, and 30 years later, her image is all over the internet – this one had never been on public display before.
Taken by David Bailey in 1988, the black and white portrait is striking in its minimalism. A simple image of the princess in profile, staring steadfastly ahead, it lacks the formality and grandeur of royal portraits past, like those by Cecil Beaton. Whereas several other photos from the same shoot were acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in the ’80s, this one remained for years in Bailey’s private collection. The Historic Royal Palaces, a non-profit committed to maintaining Kensington Palace, secured the photo for the Life Through A Royal Lens exhibit, which focused on portraits of the Windsor family.
And so, a new view of Diana was added to the cultural canon. The late royal was known for her impactful image-making: a photo of her shaking hands with an AIDS patient in London, for example, helped destigmatise the disease, while a picture of her walking through a landmine field in Angola helped to raise global awareness for a pressing human rights issue. Then, there are the pictures of her that epitomise glamour and, well, scandal: take the little black dress Diana wore to a high-profile party as her estranged husband Prince Charles admitted to an affair on national television, cemented now in pop culture as the “revenge dress”. (It even has its own Wikipedia page.)
Below, in addition to Bailey’s portrait, we revisit some of the most famous photographs ever taken of the late Princess of Wales.
Lady Diana Spencer at age 19, the age she was when she and Prince Charles started dating.
Lady Diana Spencer in November 1980, two months after her relationship with Prince Charles was revealed by the press.
Lady Diana Spencer, startled after stalling her new red Mini Metro outside her Earls Court flat in London just days before her engagement to Prince Charles was announced.
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer at Buckingham Palace on the day they announced their engagement in February 1981.
Lady Diana Spencer wearing her “Black sheep” wool jumper by Warm and Wonderful to Windsor Polo, June 1981. Forty years later, the distinct print has once again made a fashion comeback.
Lady Diana Spencer arrives at St Paul’s Cathedral on her wedding day, revealing to the world the wedding dress which had been carefully guarded during its design.
Princess Diana falls asleep during an appearance in 1981, which gave her the nickname of “Sleeping Beauty”. She would announce her pregnancy with Prince William shortly after.
The Princess of Wales, wearing a tartan dress designed by Caroline Charles and a black Tam o’ shanter-style hat, attending the Braemar Highland Games on 5 September 1981 in Scotland.
Princess Diana at a state dinner in Canberra, Australia, November 1985.
Princess Diana in 1983.
Princess Diana dances with John Travolta at the White House in 1985.
The Princess of Wales at home in Kensington Palace.
Princess Diana sitting on a step at Highgrove House, in Doughton, Gloucestershire, 18 July 1986.
The Princess of Wales shakes hands with an AIDS patient as she opens a new AIDS ward at Middlesex Hospital on 9 April 1987 in London.
The Princess of Wales wearing a hat by milliner Frederick Fox during a visit to Anzio, Italy.
Princess Diana on Armistice Day, 1988.
Princess Diana sits alone at the Taj Mahal during her visit to India in 1992. She and Prince Charles would announce their separation at the end of that year.
Princess Diana rides a log flume with her sons William and Harry in 1993.
Princess Diana arriving at the Serpentine Gallery, London, in a gown by Christina Stambolian. Her 1994 look would later be dubbed the “revenge dress”.
Princess Diana, wearing a Virgin Atlantic sweatshirt, leaves Chelsea Harbour Club in November 1995. Her gym style, to this day, has a cult following of fashion devotees.
Diana, wearing protective body armour and a visor, visits a minefield being cleared by the charity Halo in Huambo, Angola. Her 1997 visit brought international attention to the issue.
