Princess Diana’s first photo as Prince Charles’s girlfriend didn’t immediately make frontpage news after royal photographer Arthur Edwards took them.
In 2017, Edward told News Corp that he initially wanted to make sure that Princess Diana and Prince Charles were really dating before he released the late royal’s photographs.
Years ago, the Prince of Wales made a speech about wanting to get married at 30. Edwards’ editor then tasked him to find out who Prince Charles’s girlfriend was at that time.
The royal photographer’s contact informed him that Prince Charles and his girlfriend were going to a polo match at Cowdray Park. Four decades ago, no one really knew who Princess Diana was.
Edwards went to the venue of Prince Charles’ polo match and he struggled to find the woman that he is dating. He, later on, found a beautiful woman sitting on the sidelines and figured that it was the dad of two’s girlfriend. Princess Diana wore a necklace with her initial on it.
After taking Princess Diana’s photo, Edwards decided that he wouldn’t have it published in the papers. Instead, he wanted to wait until he could confirm the status of the couple’s relationship.
“I thought he [Charles] isn’t running around with teenagers. He was 28, he’d been going out with girls in their mid-20s. I told the editor, ‘don’t syndicate it, just file it,’” Edwards said.
One month later, the royal photographer was finally able to confirm the Prince and Princess of Wales’ relationship. He saw the couple fishing and Edwards noticed that Princess Diana disguised as a man.
Edwards immediately stopped his car to run after Princess Diana so he could take her photo. Prince William and Prince Harry’s mom ran away and tried hiding behind a tree.
According to Edwards, he also saw Princess Diana holding a mirror to see if the photographer was still following her.
One day later, Edwards tracked the London nursery that Princess Diana was working at. It was there that the photographer managed to take photos of the Princess of Wales in a translucent skirt.
Over the years, Edwards became known as one of Princess Diana’s photographers. Two decades following her death, Edwards penned an article on The Sun.
He said that his first and early meetings with Princess Diana when she was just a teenager is forever etched in his memory nearly 40 years on.