Harry’s harsh photo-warning order to Meghan left the Duchess speechless
Rather, it’s a colossal mausoleum of white marble, built between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It was to be a memory of 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 pictured in front of the Taj Mahal, sitting on a bench with the massive mausoleum behind her. She wore a red jacket, a purple skirt, and matching shoes for the occasion, striking a pose many have recreated since.
Royal photographer Anwar Hussein was one of the photographers present at the time. Speaking to People in 2022, he opened up about the special day. Reportedly, it wasn’t the first time he had taken a picture of a royal in front of the historic landmark.
“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 picture became iconic. However, as beautiful as it seemed, the photo of Diana is often remembered with a tinge of sorrow for what came after.
Iconic picture of Princess Diana became sign of a crashing relationship with Charles
In 1992, just months after the visit to the Taj Mahal, Princess Diana and Prince Charles separated. Three years later the two divorced, and in 1997, the “People’s Princess” was tragically killed in a car crash in Paris, France.
During the India visit, rumors about Diana and Charles’ marriage crumbling were already common knowledge. Though they had conflicting schedules and engagements, it was somewhat expected that the two would visit the Taj Mahal together. Today, we know that it didn’t happen.
“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 asked by a reporter how she felt being at the mausoleum, simply replying: “It was a fascinating experience – very healing.” Reporters wondered what she meant and asked again.
Diana smiled, replying: “Work it out for yourself.”
When photos of Princess Diana emerged, one royal expert stated 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 to take the picture
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