In remembrance of the late Princess Diana, who died 21 years ago yesterday, her close friend Rosa Monckton has shared a rare photo of Diana looking incredibly happy.
The photo which was posted to Twitter shows the late mother-of-two slouched back onto a plushy red chair, wearing a slouchy jumper and track pants. Her eyes are closed, and she is laughing deeply.
Rosa Monckton, whose daughter Domenica was Diana’s god-daughter, captioned the image “Diana as I remember her. Not enough is written about her sense of fun and zest for life. Friend and wonderful godmother to Domenica. RIP.”
Diana as I remember her. Not enough is written about her sense of fun and zest for life. Friend and wonderful godmother to Domenica. RIP pic.twitter.com/WP49dNDeEu
— Rosa Monckton (@MoncktonR) August 31, 2018
The photo is a beautiful antidote to the many famous photos of Diana that demonstrate her devastation of Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles.
On March 29, 1981, pictures of Princess Diana dressed in a red coat, crying at the airport as her then fiance Prince Charles departed for a five week trip to Australia, emerged in the media.
The vulnerable moment was believed to indicate her sadness for Charles leaving for so long, but in hindsight it marked the emotional end of the pair’s tumultuous relationship, in which Diana eventually experienced severe depression.
According to a National Geographic documentary Diana: In Her Own Words Princess Diana was crying at the airport because of Camilla Parker-Bowles.
“That was nothing to do with him going,” she said in the documentary.
“The most awful thing had happened before he went… I was in his study talking to him about his trip. The telephone rang. It was Camilla. Just before he was going for five weeks. And it just broke my heart, that.”
This was just the beginning of Diana’s heartbreaking struggle with her marriage, post-natal depression and her husband’s affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles.
21 years after her death, Diana should be remembered for her strength, kindness, and her memorable laugh.