Diana, Princess of Wales at National Portrait Gallery
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Tuesday, October 27, 2026


Diana, Princess of Wales at National Portrait Gallery
Prince Henry of Wales; Diana, Princess of Wales; Prince William of Wales by John Swannell, 1994. © John Swannell.



LONDON.-The National Portrait Gallery presents Diana, Princess of Wales, on view through October 2007. Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997) was one of the most photographed women of recent times. This display of photographs, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of her tragic death, looks at her life in the public eye as a royal wife, mother, high-profile charity worker and international fashion icon.

The youngest daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer, Diana was born in Sandringham, Norfolk. In 1981, at the age of twenty she married Charles, Prince of Wales in a ceremony at St Paul's cathedral broadcast to over 750 million viewers worldwide. This acute media interest in the life of the new Princess was a sign of things to come.

Over the next 16 years, her life was seen through the lenses of the paparazzi and, in more formal settings, those of the world's leading portrait photographers - among them Lord Lichfield, Terence Donovan, David Bailey and Mario Testino. While she often made reference to feeling hunted by the press, Diana also recognised the benefits of the attention in relation to her role as a human rights ambassador. 'Where I go,' she said 'the world's press follows'.

This display of photographs shows the public side of the 'people's princess' but also the more private moments, including John Swannell's portrait of Diana and her two sons, capturing a relaxed moment between sittings for an official Christmas card and also a shot from the Mario Testino shoot of 1997. Taken on a single day in 1997, Testino's photographs of the Princess created a sensation when they appeared, with their completely relaxed informality. 'My original reaction,' he said 'was to photograph her in her traditional role as the fairytale princess. Then I realized that the most exciting image you could hope to see of her was as if you were alone in private with her.'


Today's News

July 22, 2007

Impressionist Giverny: A Colony of Artists, 1885-1915

New Gallery for Modern and Contemporary Photography

Diana, Princess of Wales at National Portrait Gallery

Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York

German Photographer Bernd Becher, 75, Dies

LOCUS I: Art and Craft of Claremont

Parting the Curtain: Asian Art Revealed at BAM/PFA

Controlled Spontaneity: Works by Andrew Ina

Josephine Meckseper Featured in Stuttgart

Stick*Stamp*Fly at Gasworks

Lord Browne and Monisha Shah Appointed Tate Trustees

The Atrocity Exhibition Opens in New York

David Shrigley - Monotypes in Copenhagen




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 




Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)


Editor: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez


Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
       
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful