Harry’s harsh photo-warning order to Meghan left the Duchess speechless
There was a sad background story to the picture, and in a way it symbolized the beginning of the end for Princess Diana’s time with the Royal Family, as her and Charles’ relationship came crashing down.
Interestingly, though, it turns out that the picture itself almost didn’t happen.
According to her former security officer Ken Wharfe, Diana didn’t want the picture 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 reported 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: “Of course, the media interest was always on Diana, right through her life, together with the Prince of Wales. This was a big problem for him. He wanted that media attention but, of course, the focus was on Diana, for obvious reasons.”
Princess Diana’s Taj Mahal picture is legendary, but she’s far from the only royal to have visited the world heritage site.
In 2016, 24 years after his mother, Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton – then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – visited the Taj Mahal and posed for pictures at “Lady D’ ‘s Chair.” Before the trip, the couple’s spokesman said 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 pleaded Meghan Markle to not take Taj Mahal picture
Princess Diana, Prince William, and Princess Kate have all been pictured outside the Taj Mahal. However, were it not for Prince Harry, there might well have been another princess to have mimicked Diana’s photo.
Harry and Meghan began dating in 2016, and though they tried everything to keep their relationship as private as possible, it quickly became the subject of mass speculation. The British tabloids wrote all sorts of things about them, as they had about Harry’s mother, Diana.
As a result, Harry decided to act when Meghan planned to travel to India with World Vision, where she was to promote menstrual health management and education access for young girls.
Reportedly, before her plane left for India, Harry warned his then-girlfriend: “Do not take a photo of yourself in front of the Taj Mahal.”
The Duke was eager not to have people think Meghan was mimicking his mother. Even though it seemed like he was surprised by her answer, he was overjoyed.
“‘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 passed away in 1997, she was mourned by millions. But of course, as is always the case, her family endured the deepest wounds.
Harry revealed details of day when his mother died
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