This July 1 would have been Princess Diana’s 65th birthday. Over the course of her life, the princess was beloved for her acts of kindness, philanthropy, and image-making (both politically and personally). From shaking hands with an AIDS patient in London—helping to debunk harmful myths and reduce stigma—to walking through a minefield in Angola to bring international attention to the issue of landmines and to help garner support for their ban, Diana knew the power of an image.
She became a visual icon for her fashion as well, with legendary outfits like the black dress she wore after Prince Charles admitted to an affair on national television, now known in pop culture as the “revenge dress.” (It even has its own Wikipedia page.) Or her wedding dress, with its puff sleeves and 25-foot train. While there are, of course, only so many photos of the princess, sometimes rarely seen shots emerge.
For example: On March 4, 2022, two white-gloved curators hung a rarely seen portrait of the late Princess of Wales, by David Bailey, on the walls of Kensington Palace. The black-and-white portrait is striking in its minimalism, showing simply the profile of Diana staring ahead, steadfast. A new view of the Princess, added to the cultural canon.
In honor of the birth of “the People’s Princess,” we revisit some of the most famous images of the late Princess of Wales.
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Photo: Getty Images
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Photo: Getty Images
Lady Diana Spencer in November 1980, two months after her relationship with Prince Charles was revealed by the press.
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Photo: Getty Images
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.
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Photo: Getty Images
Prince Charles III and Lady Diana Spencer at Buckingham Palace on the day they announce their engagement in February 1981.
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Photo: Getty Images
Lady Diana Spencer wearing her ‘Black sheep’ wool jumper by Warm and Wonderful to Windsor Polo, June 1981. 40 years later, the distinct print has once again made a fashion comeback.
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the wedding dress which had been carefully guarded during its design.”,”contentType”:”photo”,”credit”:”Photo: Getty Images”,”segmentedSources”:{“sm”:[{“height”:232,”width”:320,”url”:”https://assets.vogue.com/photos/62277e1e1d3cb5ce0d7862c1/master/w_320,c_limit/514693462″},{“height”:464,”width”:640,”url”:”https://assets.vogue.com/photos/62277e1e1d3cb5ce0d7862c1/master/w_640,c_limit/514693462″}],”md”:[{“height”:464,”width”:640,”url”:”https://assets.vogue.com/photos/62277e1e1d3cb5ce0d7862c1/master/w_640,c_limit/514693462″},{“height”:928,”width”:1280,”url”:”https://assets.vogue.com/photos/62277e1e1d3cb5ce0d7862c1/master/w_1280,c_limit/514693462″}],”lg”:[{“height”:742,”width”:1024,”url”:”https://assets.vogue.com/photos/62277e1e1d3cb5ce0d7862c1/master/w_1024,c_limit/514693462″},{“height”:1485,”width”:2048,”url”:”https://assets.vogue.com/photos/62277e1e1d3cb5ce0d7862c1/master/w_2048,c_limit/514693462″}],”xl”:[{“height”:928,”width”:1280,”url”:”https://assets.vogue.com/photos/62277e1e1d3cb5ce0d7862c1/master/w_1280,c_limit/514693462″}],”xxl”:[{“height”:928,”width”:1280,”url”:”https://assets.vogue.com/photos/62277e1e1d3cb5ce0d7862c1/master/w_1280,c_limit/514693462″}]}}}” data-testid=”GallerySlideWrapper”>
Photo: Getty Images
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.
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Photo: Getty Images
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.
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Photo: Getty Images
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 September 5, 1981 in Scotland.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana at a state dinner in Canberra, Australia, November 1985.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana in 1983.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana dances with John Travolta at the White House in 1985.
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Photo: Getty Images
The Princess of Wales at home in Kensington Palace.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana sitting on a step at Highgrove House, in Doughton, Gloucestershire, July 18, 1986.
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Photo: Getty Images
The Princess of Wales shakes hands with an AIDS patient as she opens a new AIDS ward at the Middlesex Hospital on April 9, 1987 in London, England.
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Photo: Getty Images
The Princess of Wales wearing a hat by milliner Frederick Fox during a visit to Anzio, Italy.
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Photo: Getty Images
The Princess of Wales in Hong Kong, 1989.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana on Armistice Day, 1988.
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Photo: Getty Images
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.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana rides a log flume with her sons Prince William and Prince Harry in 1993.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana arriving at the Serpentine Gallery, London, in a gown by Christina Stambolian. Her 1994 look would later be dubbed the “Revenge Dress.”
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana, wearing a Virgin Atlantic sweatshirt, leaves Chelsea Harbour Club, London in November, 1995. Her gym style, to this day, has a cult following of fashion devotees.
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Photo: Getty Images
Diana, wearing protective body armor and a visor, visits a minefield being cleared by the charity Halo in Huambo, Angola. Her 1997 visit brought international attention to the issue.
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Photo: Getty Images
A 27-year-old Princess Diana sporting a camp combo of white, flowy trousers, patterned boots, a blazer jacket, and a decorated cap.
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Photo: Getty Images
The Princess and Prince of Wales with William in front of St. Mary’s Hospital in 1982.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana and Prince Harry in 1987.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana wears jeans, cowboy boots, and a sweatshirt to a polo match in 1988.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana and Prince Charles on their 1981 honeymoon in Balmoral, Scotland.
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Photo: Getty Images
A formal portrait of Princess Diana in wedding dress designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel.
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Photo: Getty Images
Diana, Princess of Wales with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, at the piano in Kensington Palace in 1985.
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Photo: Getty Images
Princess Diana and her brother as children in 1968.
