Princess Diana, affectionately known as “Lady Di,” was admired for her compassionate and nurturing spirit. She had a genuine love for people, always reaching out to those in need. Her rise to fame began with her engagement to Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, thrusting her into the global spotlight. Sadly, her untimely death is often attributed to the relentless pursuit by paparazzi.
While the world is familiar with many posed photographs of the late Princess, the images that follow reveal rare, candid moments of Lady Di, capturing her authentic and unique character.’
Rare, Unseen Photographs of Princess Diana, One of the World’s Most Photographed Icons
byBrowse Feed–September 02, 20240
Princess Diana, affectionately known as “Lady Di,” was admired for her compassionate and nurturing spirit. She had a genuine love for people, always reaching out to those in need. Her rise to fame began with her engagement to Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, thrusting her into the global spotlight. Sadly, her untimely death is often attributed to the relentless pursuit by paparazzi.
While the world is familiar with many posed photographs of the late Princess, the images that follow reveal rare, candid moments of Lady Di, capturing her authentic and unique character.
During a ski trip with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, Diana was seen enjoying precious moments with her boys.
Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with his mother’s iconic 12-carat sapphire ring, surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, set in white gold. This ring, originally ordered from a Garrard jewelry collection catalog, marked Diana’s unique style among British royals.
On her wedding day, Princess Diana was so excited that she accidentally called her future husband “Philip Charles Arthur George” instead of “Charles Philip.”
Princess Diana had a tough time adjusting to her royal duties.
Her brother, Charles Spencer, revealed that wearing the tiara initially gave her severe headaches. “She had a cracking headache,” he recalled, “as she wasn’t used to wearing a tiara all morning.”
The 25-foot train on Diana’s wedding dress, though stunning, proved difficult to manage, leaving it crumpled as she entered the horse-drawn carriage.
When asked if they were in love during their engagement interview, Charles responded with, “Whatever ‘in love’ means,” while Diana confidently replied, “Of course.”
Princess Diana was hands-on in the planning of her wedding.
The dress design papers were destroyed after her approval to prevent any leaks to the press.
Among the many gifts received, the Reagans gifted the couple a handcrafted porcelain centerpiece and an engraved Steuben bowl, while other presents included gloves made from 100-year-old silk and a diamond and sapphire timepiece.
On their wedding day, it was revealed that Charles and Diana shared a common ancestor—Henry VII of the Tudors—making them 16th cousins once removed.
A honeymoon where sleep was the real treat.
When photographed on their honeymoon, a lip reader mentioned that it seemed during
their conversation, the newlyweds said, “The honeymoon was the ideal time to
catch up on sleep…”
A photograph taken in 1980 shows Diana before she entered royal life.
Diana’s visit to Angola in 1997, where she met landmine victims, showcased her compassion.
Diana is seen with her son Harry in matching outfits, playfully sticking out his tongue to the crowd.
A photo of Diana with her stepmother, whom the media labeled the “wicked stepmother” due to their turbulent relationship.
Diana was captured enjoying a holiday with her partner, Dodi Fayed, just days before her tragic death.
Diana is pictured having fun at the beach in an animal print bathing suit.
Beloved ‘People’s Princess’
Dubbed “The People’s Princess” for her love, generosity, and big heart, Diana captured the world’s affection.
Photographed in Alice Springs, Australia’s Northern Territory.
Leaving the hospital with her husband after giving birth to their first son, William.
One of the most famous photos of Diana and Charles was taken at Buckingham Palace after announcing their engagement on February 24, 1981.
Charles and Diana first greet the crowds as a married couple.
Their first kiss as a married couple.
A family photo taken on October 6, 1984, at Kensington Palace, along with moments from Prince William’s christening.
Family time!
Prince William’s christening.
The princess lovingly addresses a supporter.
Photo of the happy couple and their son William.
In this particular image, Diana’s breathtaking beauty is evident, making it perhaps the most iconic photo of the late princess ever taken.
Princess Diana was a mother, a leader, and an inspiration. Her memory will forever remain in our hearts.
Share this article with your loved ones and keep the memory of Princess Diana alive!
Matt Heath: My parting message: Enjoy things while they are around
A lot of big, tragic and important things have happened to this wonderful country of ours since April 2014. None of which I have covered. I was too busy writing about hungover parenting, ancient philosophy and my dog Colin.
Out of the 536 columns I have written, 27 were about that guy. Far too few. He is such a good boy, he deserves an article a week.
Today is the end of an era for me, and whenever these final events pop up in our lives, we can’t help but think about the ultimate end.
Everything we do, we will one day do for the last time. That’s why you have to enjoy things while they are around. It’s not just big events like leaving a job, house or loved one either. Whatever moment you happen to be in now, you will never get it back, and you don’t know how many more you have.
Everything we do in life, from eating pizza to spending time with the people we love, to driving, writing, drinking or breathing, we will one day experience for the final time. It might happen tomorrow. This can be either a depressing or an inspiring thought, depending on how you look at it.
A few years back in this column, I interviewed professor of philosophy William B Irvine, of Wright State University, Ohio, on this very topic. He put it this way on a Zoom call: “Recognition of the impermanence of everything in life can invest the things we do with a significance and intensity that would otherwise be absent. The only way we can be truly alive is if we make it our business periodically to entertain thoughts of the end.”
Today’s column is very meaningful to me because it is my last. Like the last night with a lover before she goes overseas. And just like a lover, there have been some half-arsed efforts put in from me over the years. Last week, for example, I spent 750 words moaning about how bad my cricket team is. But the truth is that any of my columns could have been the final. If I had reminded myself every week for the past 10 years that the end is inevitable, I may have been more grateful for having a column and appreciated writing them all as much as I am this one.
While everything we do could have more meaning with a focus on finitude, some things are inherently more worthwhile than others. There is no doubt my column “The pros and cons of wearing Speedos” from November 2022 was less meaningful than most things in this world. That was a waste of everyone’s time. So, if we only have so much time, how do we pick the best things to do?
Well, Oliver Burkeman, the author of Four Thousand Weeks – Time Management For Mortals, suggested this to me in a 2022 column: “Ask yourself, does this choice enlarge me? You usually know on some unspoken level if it does. That’s a good way to distinguish between options.”
With that in mind, I don’t feel great about my 2018 article on “New Zealand’s best hole”. That didn’t enlarge anyone.
There will be people reading this column right now who have loved my writing in the Herald and are sad to see it end. Others will have hated it and are glad to see me go. Many won’t have any opinion at all. But for those in the first camp, I have good news. I have a book coming out on May 28 called A Life Less Punishing – 13 Ways To Love The Life You Got (Allen and Unwin Book Publishers). It’s a deep dive into the history, philosophy and science of not wasting our time lost in anger, loneliness, humiliation, stress, fear, boredom and all the other ways we find to not enjoy perfectly good lives. It’s available for pre-order right now (google it if you’re interested).
A Life Less Punishing took me two years to write and is equivalent in words to 100 of these columns. Which would be a complete nightmare for those in the hate camp, but as I say, great news for those who want more.
Anyway, thanks to the Herald for having me, thanks to the lovely people who make an effort to say nice things to me about my column nearly every day and thanks to the universe for every single second we get.
Bless!
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