The Backstory to Princess Diana’s Iconic Pic at the Taj Mahal

A throwback to Princess Diana’s visit to India and her famous photograph in front of the Taj

Princess Diana poses for photographers outside the Taj Mahal during her official India visit (Photo: Reuters)

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s scheduled trip to see the Taj Mahal in Agra during their ongoing India visit, brings back memories of Princess Diana’s official visit to the ‘monument of love’ back in 1992 and the famous photograph of Lady Diana sitting alone in front of the Taj.

Rumours about Prince Charles and the Princess of Wales’ marriage had started doing the rounds a little before their visit to India.

According to Time magazine – It was Princess Diana’s visit to the Taj Mahal in February of 1992 that resulted in a photo of the Princess sitting alone on a bench, an image that seemed to turn rumours into reality around the couple’s impending divorce.

This iconic photo of Princess Diana in front of the Taj Mahal also paints a picture of loneliness (Photo: Reuters)

People reports that – the pair was kept busy with conflicting schedule and engagements, but it was expected that the royal couple would visit the beautiful monument together. However, with Charles in meetings, Diana arrived at the Taj Mahal alone.

Diana described her experience of seeing the Taj Mahal as ‘fascinating and very healing’, when pressed for more, the Princess reportedly smiled and said, “Work it out for yourself.”

Princess Diana with Sonia Gandhi at her New Delhi residence February 11, 1992 (Photo: Reuters)

Well, the media probably had it all worked out already.

Charles and Diana got married in 1981 and rumours of a troubled marriage broke out almost 10 years later.

The solo photo of the Princess was just what the public needed to confirm their suspicions that the marriage was indeed over, recalls Ashley Ross in Time. The royal couple announced their separation in December 1992, just nine months after Diana’s solo photograph at the Taj Mahal, before a formal divorce in 1996.

As pictures of a beaming Prince William and Kate Middleton sitting on the very same bench as Princess Diana gets splashed all over the media, they’ll also be hoping to mend the broken image of Britain’s royal family, which was a result of Charles and Diana’s troubled relationship.