Iconic Photo of Princess Diana Soaked in Wet Hair Has An Extraordinary Story Not Many Know

Princess Diana's life had many iconic moments, especially her hair. Her fans and the media were in a way obsessed with her hairstyle, and it was such a big deal that to this day, women from all walks of life try to copy her hairdo. So, naturally, when her rare wet look alongside opera singer Luciano Pavarotti went public, people were curious to find out the story behind it. 

The moment dates back to 1991 when Pavarotti performed a charity concert at London's Hyde Park. Royal photographer Anwar Hussein recalled the night during Princess Diana Exhibition: Accredited Access, a "walk-through documentary" that was opened in Chicago and Los Angeles in 2021. 

Hussein told PEOPLE, "It was pouring down with rain. This was an outdoor concert, and everybody had their umbrellas up. It was hard for people to see, and it was difficult for Pavarotti to see his audience and get a connection with them too." He continued that the organizers "begged everyone to close their umbrellas" so everyone could enjoy the show. 

"Diana was the first one to do so, very quickly," said Hussein. The rest of the people in the audience followed suit and because of the rain, she got soaking wet. After this, she went inside the arena to meet the singer where this iconic photograph was clicked. The royalty, who was famous for her quirky sense of humor, made light of the situation. While putting her hand on her head, Diana joked, "Do you like my new hairstyle?'" 

The photographer added that by that time, Diana had become increasingly confident in front of the camera, unlike her shy, vulnerable self in her younger days, "She was playing for the cameras a little. She knew what to do and what to wear." Hussein and Diana grew closer as he traveled with her for events. "The story of Diana unfolded in front of us," recounted Hussein, adding that he saw "every side of Diana" through her royal journey and praised her as a "genuine, good human being." 

For over five decades, Hussein had been an accredited royal photographer. He captured Diana from the very start, right from the time her relationship with then-Prince Charles broke in the media to the time she tragically died in a car accident in 1997. He accompanied her almost everywhere, from the Serpentine Gallery to an Angolan minefield to a cancer ward in Lahore to the steps of St Paul's Cathedral. 

Following in their father's footsteps, Hussein's sons Samir and Zak have been shooting the best images of both Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in recent years. The sons will take on their father's legacy ahead since Hussein died on September 23, 2024, at the age of 85. Though his work with the royal family is the ultimate highlight of his life, working with Diana gave him an intimate window into her heart. 

"She showed her moods in the way she dressed," Hussein said noting that when Diana's marriage with Charles was disintegrating, she channeled her unhappiness and loneliness through her photographs, per The Guardian.