There are few photographs of Princess Diana more iconic than the one showing her sitting outside the majestic Taj Mahal in India. Taken in 1992 on what is now affectionately termed “Lady Di’s Chair,” this image has since been recreated by countless individuals, including Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Yet, interestingly, someone who refrained from striking a similar pose when the chance arose was Meghan Markle.
Before Meghan and Harry grew close, Meghan often traveled globally for various jobs. While still on the cast of Suits, Meghan was traveling to India for business and intended to visit the world-famous marble monument, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry shared the discussion he had with Meghan prior to her trip, where he explicitly cautioned her against recreating Diana’s renowned photo. His reason, he said, left her “baffled.”
Princess Diana didn’t earn the nickname “The People’s Princess” just because it was catchy.
Through her generous spirit and compassion, she became a beacon for the British populace, someone they could look to for hope and comfort during tough times. As she once stated, her desire was to be the queen of people’s hearts rather than the queen in title.
Princess Diana – An Iconic Visit to the Taj Mahal
The tragic incident in Paris that resulted in her demise is one of the most heart-wrenching moments in modern British history. However, Diana’s legacy continues, not only through her sons William and Harry but also in the hearts of the people.
It’s universally agreed that Princess Diana was taken from us too soon. Unfortunately, she was constantly hounded and led a difficult private life after becoming part of the Royal Family.
Nonetheless, Diana was a devoted mother who always prioritized her sons, William and Harry. The mother-of-two endeavored to provide them with as normal a childhood as possible. Though she longed to be with her boys every moment, commitments demanded her attention, and she traveled extensively across the world, both with and without her then-husband, Charles.
Throughout her lifetime, Diana visited several notable locations, securing her place in the annals of history through the camera lenses of photographers worldwide. Among the most powerful images of her was one captured in 1992, during her visit to India and the Taj Mahal.
On arrival, then-President Ramaswamy Venkataraman welcomed her, and during her journey, she also attended the inauguration of the Taman Special School for children. Meanwhile, Prince Charles was busy with a business meeting in Bangalore, leaving Diana to explore solo.
This included a visit to the Taj Mahal, although the celebrated photograph did have an underlying bittersweet tone afterward.
For those unaware, the Taj Mahal is not simply a castle or dwelling place.
What is the Taj Mahal?
Instead, it stands as a colossal mausoleum made of white marble, constructed between 1631 and 1648, as ordered by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, as an ode to his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
The UNESCO website describes the Taj Mahal as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”
“The Taj Mahal is considered to be the greatest architectural achievement in the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture. Its recognized architectonic beauty has a rhythmic combination of solids and voids, concave and convex, and light shadow; such as arches and domes, further increases the aesthetic aspect. The color combination of lush green scape, reddish pathway, and blue sky over it showcases the monument in ever-changing tints and moods. The relief work in marble and inlay with precious and semi-precious stones make it a monument apart,” the description reads.
Princess Diana was photographed in front of the Taj Mahal, seated on a bench with the regal mausoleum towering behind her. Dressed in a red jacket, purple skirt, and matching shoes, she posed in a manner many have since tried to emulate.
Royal photographer Anwar Hussein was among those present to capture the moment. Speaking to People in 2022, he reflected on that notable day. Reportedly, it wasn’t his first experience photographing a royal in front of the historic site.
“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.’”
The image went on to become iconic. However, beautiful though it was, the photo of Diana also evokes feelings of sorrow given the events that unfolded afterward.
Iconic Picture of Princess Diana Became Symbol of a Crumbling Relationship with Charles
In 1992, just a few months after visiting the Taj Mahal, Princess Diana and Prince Charles ended their marriage. Three years down the line, the couple divorced, and tragically in 1997, the beloved “People’s Princess” met her untimely death in a car accident in Paris, France.
During the India visit, speculation about Diana and Charles’s marriage falling apart was already widespread. Although their schedules and commitments differed, it had been assumed they might visit the Taj Mahal together. As we now know, that was not to be.
“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.”
Princess Diana was questioned by a reporter on her feelings upon visiting the mausoleum and she simply stated, “It was a fascinating experience – very healing.” Reporters inquired further about her statement.
She smiled, responding: “Work it out for yourself.”
When the photographs of Princess Diana surfaced, one royal expert said it “broke hearts.”
“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.”
Diana Never Wanted the Picture Taken
There is a poignant backstory to the photograph, which in a way marked the start of the end for Princess Diana’s time with the Royal Family, as her and Charles’s relationship deteriorated.
Interestingly, as it turns out, the photo almost never happened.
According to her former security officer Ken Wharfe, Diana didn’t even wish for the photograph to be taken in the first place.
“The point was, this was during the visit, it was the joint visit with her and the Prince of Wales,” Wharfe said, as mentioned 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: “The media interest was always on Diana, throughout her life, alongside the Prince of Wales. This became a major issue for him. He craved that media spotlight but of course, the focus was on Diana, for obvious reasons.”
Princess Diana’s Taj Mahal photo is legendary, but she isn’t the only royal family member who has graced the site.
In 2016, 24 years after Diana did, Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton – then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – visited the Taj Mahal, posing for pictures at “Lady Di’s Chair.” Preceding their visit, a spokesman for the couple stated they hoped to create “new memories.”
“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 read.
“He feels incredibly lucky to visit a place where his mother’s memory is kept alive by so many who travel there.”
Prince Harry’s Plea to Meghan Markle Not to Take a Taj Mahal Picture
Princess Diana, Prince William, and Princess Kate have all been pictured outside the Taj Mahal. Yet, had it not been for Prince Harry’s request, there might well have been another royal posing in a similar shot.
Harry and Meghan began their relationship in 2016, and despite their efforts to keep it discreet, it quickly spiraled into a topic of public curiosity. The British media spun countless stories about them, much like they had about Harry’s mother, Diana.
Thus, Harry felt compelled to step in when Meghan planned a trip to India with World Vision, focusing on promoting menstrual health management and young girls’ educational opportunities.
Before Meghan’s flight to India, Harry urged his then-girlfriend, “Do not take a photo of yourself in front of the Taj Mahal.”
The Duke was keen to prevent any parallels between Meghan and his late mother from being drawn. Though Meghan’s response was unexpected, Harry was pleased.
“‘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.”
When Princess Diana died in 1997, she was mourned by millions, yet her family bore the deepest grief.
Harry Recollects the Day His Mother Died
In his book, Spare, Harry relives receiving the news of his mother’s death. He described the scene as his father sat beside him, saying, “Darling boy, Mummy’s been in a car crash.
“There were complications. Mummy was quite badly injured and taken to hospital, darling boy,” Harry recollects his father sharing. “He always called me ‘darling boy,’ but was saying it quite often now. His voice was gentle. He appeared to be in shock.
“With a head injury. They tried, darling boy. I’m afraid she didn’t make it.”
The prince adds that Charles put a comforting hand on his knee, saying, “It’s going to be OK,” though he “didn’t hug” him.
“Everyone knows where they were and what they were doing the night my mother died,” Harry explained.
“I cried once, at the burial, and I detail the strangeness and a sense of guilt that I grappled with and believe William fought against too, while we paced around the outside of Kensington Palace.”
“There were copious flowers honoring our mother, with mourners everywhere. Thus, our obligation lay in shaking hands and feigning smiles,” he continued. “I’ve seen the footage; it rings even now. The damp hands we grasped couldn’t be fathomed, oblivious to the tears shed as individuals wiped away their sorrow.”
“My Mother Had Just Died”
Harry and William followed behind Diana’s coffin as the funeral procession advanced toward Westminster Abbey. In later years, Harry criticized how they, as young boys aged 12 and 15, were made to traverse the streets of London under the public’s watchful gaze.
“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 shared in 2017 with Newsweek. “I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.”
Rest in peace, Princess Diana. Please share this article to honor her enduring legacy!
