A long-hidden photo of Princess Diana and David Bowie smiling together at a 1987 charity concert in London has finally surfaced.
Why was it kept secret for decades?
At 25, Diana attended the Wembley Stadium event where Bowie performed. Promoter Harvey Goldsmith arranged a photo, taken by Denis O’Regan. Diana asked if Bowie would pose with her—he agreed.
But the next day, the palace asked the photo not be published—not because of Bowie, but because Diana had arrived with Major James Hewitt, with whom she was rumored (accurately) to be having an affair. The palace wanted to avoid fueling gossip.
Photographer O’Regan respected the request and never released the image—until now.
Diana also faced criticism from the royal family for wearing leather pants that night, a choice she defended as a way to relate to her audience.
Nearly 40 years later, the photo appears in a new Bowie biography, offering a rare glimpse into the tightly controlled image of Princess Diana.