Princess Diana Was Horrified By Her Iconic See-Through Skirt Photo: “You Couldn’t Not Publish...”

In September 1980, Princess Diana, who had been working as a nursery teacher’s assistant at the Young England School in Pimlico, London, became the subject of a photo scandal that left her 'horrified'. The photograph, which featured Diana in a white, flowing Laura Ashley skirt, was taken during a photo session she had agreed to in exchange for the media leaving the school alone. However, the image created a media frenzy as sunlight made the skirt appear see-through.

At the time, sheer clothing wasn’t as common as it is now, especially for someone in Diana’s position, who was dating the future King of England. According to Instyle, the image was immediately splashed across the front pages, humiliating Diana.  "What no one realized at the time was that the sun now behind her had lit up her legs like a spotlight through the dress. She was not wearing a petticoat," royal author Charles Rae explained, adding that the entire photo session lasted no more than two or three minutes, the Daily Mail reported.

Diana, then 19, was still relatively unknown to the public and upon seeing the photo the next day, reportedly said to Prince Charles, "I don't want to be known as the girlfriend with no petticoat." Until then, there had been very few pictures of Diana. A few of her past photos captured her walking from her flat in Earls Court to her car, along with another taken just days earlier at Balmoral in Scotland. In that shot, Diana was dressed in menswear while Charles fished in the River Dee. The Daily Mail reported that when she spotted the photographers, Diana quickly hid behind a tree, using the mirror on her compact to check the positions of the photographers.

Diana, however, was not the only one who found herself in a sheer wardrobe mishap. In 2017, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, found herself in a similar situation at the Royal Ascot, when she wore a lacy Alexander McQueen dress, according to The List. The dress, though modest in design with a high neckline and long sleeves, became controversial when sunlight backlit the fabric, creating a silhouette of her figure.

The photograph of Diana in the sheer skirt, however, is remembered for its early role in defining her public image. It was one of the first instances of her being photographed in such a vulnerable way before she became the beloved Princess of Wales. As Rae recalled, the photo’s publication was a simple consequence of the good lighting and timing, but the attention it received was anything but that. Arthur Edward, one of the photographers, too asserted, "I didn't do it on purpose, I promise. I didn't do it to embarrass her, but it was such a good picture you couldn't not publish it."