Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in November 2020.
Princess Diana may have later become one of the world’s most beloved style icons, but she first captured hearts as a modest, young nursery school teacher. One of the early photographers to document her journey, Arthur Edwards, recently reflected on an iconic 1980 photo that accidentally made headlines.
The photo, taken when Diana was just 19 and dating Prince Charles, captured her standing in a park wearing a skirt that became see-through when backlit by the sun. Edwards, now a longtime royal photographer for The Sun, insists the moment was completely innocent. “I never meant for the photo to come out that way,” Edwards shared. “It was one of those rare, spontaneous moments that every photographer hopes for—completely unplanned, but too compelling not to share.”
Edwards had just been assigned to cover the royal beat and was eager to capture an image of Diana, then a quiet teacher and Charles’s new girlfriend. He knew she worked at a preschool in London, so he knocked on doors until he found her location. After gaining permission from the school’s owner, Edwards took Diana and two young students to a nearby park for some quick photos. “She struck a pose, and I snapped a few shots,” he recalled. Then, in a twist of fate, the sun emerged, backlighting her skirt and revealing her legs in silhouette. “It was purely chance,” Edwards said. “But it turned the shot into an iconic image.”
The image ran in newspapers across the U.K., much to Diana’s embarrassment. Reportedly, she told Charles she didn’t want to be remembered as “the girlfriend without a petticoat.” However, this moment was just the beginning of Diana’s complicated relationship with the press.
Despite the rocky start, Edwards continued photographing Diana as she transitioned from a shy young woman to the “people’s princess.” “She was always graceful, always kind,” Edwards said. Diana’s down-to-earth charm and compassionate work transformed public perceptions of the monarchy. She famously hugged AIDS patients and comforted leprosy patients, actions that would forever endear her to the world.
Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, continue her legacy of public service today, with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, joining in their charitable efforts. Back in 2017, Edwards had predicted the pressures Meghan Markle would face in joining the royal family, noting, “It’s a lot of pressure. If they can handle it, great, but if not, it’s best to step away.”
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan did just that, stepping down as senior royals and moving to the U.S., where they now live in Santa Barbara, California. Their choice to follow a different path echoes Diana’s complex and often challenging relationship with royal life.