Why Princess Diana’s Picture With David Bowie Was Buried For Years

Nonetheless, the explanation it stayed hidden for many years is much more fascinating than the picture itself.

Backstage at Bowie’s 1987 Glass Spider live performance at Wembley Stadium, a quiet but fascinating second unfolded.

Photographer Denis O’Regan took a photograph that remained unseen for almost 4 a long time. The snapshot confirmed Princess Diana smiling beside Bowie. It was a uncommon, candid picture of two of essentially the most recognizable figures on this planet, captured simply earlier than the musician took the stage.

O’Regan, who labored with Bowie in the course of the tour, was together with his father and brother within the crowd when he heard {that a} very particular visitor was on her means.

“I used to be working with David on the Glass Spider live performance,” he recalled in a current interview with the Each day Mail. “I used to be serving to my father and brother discover a good place to look at after I was informed Diana was coming backstage.”

Music promoter Harvey Goldsmith organized the assembly, introducing the late Princess of Wales to the music legend. When O’Regan requested if he may take a photograph, Goldsmith merely informed him to ask Diana herself.

The Princess, ever humble, hesitated. “Would he even need a image with me?” she requested shyly. O’Regan reassured her: “I feel he would.”

The following day, O’Regan obtained a name from the palace requesting that the picture not be revealed. At first look, it appeared the royal aides have been attempting to guard Diana’s picture by limiting pictures with celebrities. Nonetheless, the actual purpose was way more private and secret.

Diana had attended the live performance with Military Main James Hewitt, who was, on the time, her lover. Their five-year affair, which started in 1986, did not change into public information till years later. In 1987, their relationship was nonetheless a carefully guarded secret.

“James saved his distance from photographers all night time to keep away from being photographed with Diana,” O’Regan stated. “On the time, I had no concept who he was. There was no buzz or hypothesis about him but, so I didn’t even suppose to {photograph} him.”

Nonetheless, the palace was cautious. Any proof of Diana’s outings with Hewitt, particularly at such a high-profile occasion, may spark a scandal. Therefore, to keep away from any likelihood of publicity, they quietly requested O’Regan to not launch the pictures.

The pictures weren’t the one factor that caught the eye of royal aides. Diana’s outfit selection that night time, a pair of black leather-based trousers, additionally made waves.

To the typical concertgoer, her look was trendy and enjoyable. Nonetheless, the ensemble raised various eyebrows behind palace partitions.

In “Diana: Her True Story,” creator Andrew Morton revealed that the Princess obtained “slapped wrists” for the daring outfit.

Diana later admitted she didn’t give the look a lot thought. “I went in leather-based trousers, which I assumed was the best factor to do,” she stated. “Utterly placing out of thoughts that I used to be the longer term Queen, and future Queens don’t put on leather-based like that in public.”

Morton defined that Diana was attempting to be extra relatable and enjoyable, like her sister-in-law, Sarah Ferguson. However the palace courtiers weren’t amused. “As soon as once more, she was attempting to behave like Fergie,” he wrote, “however courtiers didn’t really feel her attire was appropriate for a future Queen.”

Nonetheless, the outfit grew to become an iconic a part of her type legacy and one other instance of how Diana balanced her royal duties along with her need to be her personal particular person.

Although the 1987 picture has solely now surfaced, it wasn’t the one time Diana and Bowie interacted.

Their first recognized assembly occurred in 1985 in the course of the historic Dwell Help live performance at Wembley Stadium.

Two years later, their transient however heat backstage assembly added one other chapter to their connection.

In 1993, Princess Diana as soon as once more supported Bowie by attending his Live performance of Hope. The occasion was held to boost cash and consciousness for AIDS charities, a trigger that she championed passionately all through her life.