A picture from decades ago showing Princess Diana and David Bowie smiling together at a London concert has just become public, making many wonder why it was never released before. After the 1987 charity concert at Wembley Stadium, the photo was taken, portraying a very rare meeting between royalty and members of rock royalty. Yet, the palace quickly made sure it did not go public.
She was just 25 years old when she became one of the best-known and most photographed women globally. Because David Bowie was about to perform, everyone backstage was lively with excitement that night.
Arranging the meeting was concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith, who brought along Denis O’Regan, a photographer who often worked on Bowie’s albums. O’Regan explained that Diana was fond of Bowie, asking him for permission to have a photo taken with him. Bowie agreed and the iconic image was taken as a result.
But on the following day, the palace took action. There was a plea to avoid using the photograph in any media. The issue wasn’t with the image; Diana seemed beautiful and Bowie looked as cool as ever. It wasn’t really because of the rock star.
Major James Hewitt was part of the story guiding Diana’s evening in a separate role. There were already rumors of a romantic connection between Diana and Hewitt by then, but their relationship wasn’t made official until a lot later. The palace made sure the photo wouldn’t accidentally cause any scandals that might damage the royal image.
O’Regan claims that Hewitt was not visible to anyone at the event and instead stayed out of the public eye. No one recognized the name, so I couldn’t imagine him and his relationship hadn’t been shared yet, she recalled in an interview with the Daily Mail.
Although he was not in the picture, the palm leaves and Diana joining in clearly suggested a special closeness between the two, so the palace acted right away.
To protect Diana and Bowie and demonstrate loyalty, O’Regan deliberately did not publish the picture and this is something he still believes in decades on. Since he remained silent, an important part of Diana’s experience as a royal was preserved for us.
Dissatisfaction with Diana’s outfit also came from the royal family. She opted for leather pants on that occasion—an outfit fitting for a modern princess, though the palace wasn’t impressed, according to sources. In her book, she remembered being disapproved of for her independetnce, a sign of the constant challenge between her choices and what royal custom demanded.
Because the duckling photo has appeared, it becomes clearer that it’s not only a lost photo, but a glimpse of when Diana and Elton’s smile was dramatically removed from view to avoid affecting her private life.
