Princess Diana had a complicated relationship with the media. The moment she was engaged to the future king of England, Prince Charles, paparazzi flocked anywhere and all the time around her. Up to this day, she continues to attract attention more than two decades after her tragic death.
One particular incident in London that is deemed unforgettable for the Princess of Wales is when she cried while on a taxi ride because of a paparazzi. Diana's horrible experience in the city was revealed by royal photographer Kent Gavin on the podcast about William and Harry's mother, titled Images of Diana.
Gavin said the incident happened decades ago when Diana went out shopping at Harvey Nichols on High Street Kensington. He said Diana told her it was one of her most scary run-ins with paparazzi. When she managed to hop in a taxi safely, the photographers continue to chase her on bicycles.
Gavin said Diana revealed to him that the paparazzo asked her to raise her head so he could take photos of her. The paparazzi, apparently, shouted at Princess Diana, saying that he needs a photograph of her because he has a child to feed and a mortgage to pay.
Frustrated and shocked, Princess Diana ended up in tears. According to Gavin, no photos of Princess Diana crying in a taxi were published online hours later, which means the paparazzo didn't release her photos after all.
Prince Charles wasn't mentioned in their conversation. It wasn't clear either why Diana was without a bodyguard at the time.
There have been many stories from Diana's friends and family on how she struggles with the paparazzi. In a documentary for the 20th year commemoration of Diana's death titled Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, Prince William has been upfront about his dislike towards paparazzi. He revealed how he remembers the times when his mother cried because of press intrusion.
"I sadly remember most of the time she ever cried about anything was to do with press intrusion. Harry and I, we had to live through that," he said.
The Duke of Cambridge also recalled some of the more horrendous things that some photographers did to her mother just to elicit a reaction from her. He said there was a time when a paparazzo spat at his mother so that Diana will raise her head, and he can take a photo of her.
William said people would be appalled if they knew exactly what happened 20 years ago. On August 31, 1997, Diana, along with her companion businessman Dodi Al Fayed and their driver Henri Paul, died in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris after being pursued by paparazzi in 1997. Diana's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, survived the tragic event.
