“History was made here,” the photographer remembers.
A special royal exhibition opened in London today, showing several iconic images of Princess Diana, Prince William and Princess Kate, and Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan. Photographer Anwar Hussein, who regularly worked with Lady Di over the years, now looks back on that special period.
Making history
The Dockside Vaults, an underground gallery near the iconic Tower Bridge, will soon host the special exhibition Princess Diana: Accredited Access, with dozens of iconic photos of the princess and her descendants. Photographer Anwar Hussein and his two sons slash colleagues, Samir and Zak Hussein, also provide the iconic images with the necessary context in the accompanying audio tour.
For example, Anwar, who is now 86 years old and has been in the business for more than half a century, says that it was always a special experience to work with Diana. “During my career as Princess Diana’s photographer, I have often said that history is being made here. This has never happened before. And I’m here to document it.”
Anwar also revealed to The Guardian that Diana was very aware of her impact. “She knew how to convey a message with a photo,” said the expert.
Favorite photo
Quite a few snapshots have been taken of Diana over the years. For years, not only Anwar Hussein, but also his dozens of colleagues stood with their gigantic lenses at the ready at every event where the princess made her appearance. From the legendary revenge dress and the swinging snaps with John Travolta in the White House, to that lonely photo in front of the Taj Mahal – there are endless beautiful pictures of the princess.
Yet her favorite photo was reportedly a particularly poignant one, Anwar revealed. These are images of the princess during her visit to a cancer hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. Here she held a young patient in her arms, who would soon die of his illness. “Diana told me that out of the sheer number of photos taken of her, this was her favorite. Even though the little boy was blind, and he was in a lot of pain from all the surgical scars and wounds on his head and body, you can see how lovingly he looks at her, and it seems like he could feel how she was taking care of him.” Anwar recalled.
“She held him for a long time, as if he were her own baby. She was extremely touched when she heard that he had died shortly after her visit,” the photographer reflected.
Successors
In addition to photos of Diana, the exhibition also includes plenty of images of Princes William and Harry and their spouses. Although Anwar is now quite old, his sons have taken over from their father: Samir and Zak are also making waves as royal photographers these days. “There are so many memories that connect our two families and create a special bond,” says the proud father.
Interested in a city trip to London yourself? The Princess Diana: Accredited Access exhibition can be seen until September 2.
Source: The Guardian | Image: NL Image
