Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly left ‘horrified’ and ‘annoyed’ when private, risqué photographs of Princess Diana and Prince Charles during a 1982 holiday in the Bahamas, surfaced in the press. The couple, along with Lord and Lady Romsey, stayed at Countess Mountbatten’s secluded cottage on Windermere Island, hoping for a quiet retreat from public life. Instead, their getaway turned into a media frenzy when royal photographer , Arthur Edwards, secretly captured the unauthorized images.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana on vacation in Bahamas, 1982. pic.twitter.com/hc5czgYOJI
— History Photographed (@HistoryInPics) September 27, 2015
The leak prompted the Queen to take immediate action — she called for an emergency meeting with editors of the national newspapers at Buckingham Palace. Royal correspondent Ingrid Seward, revealed, “The Queen was very annoyed and horrified about this…She said, ‘You simply have to leave the Princess of Wales alone.’” Despite the Queen’s direct intervention, Seward believed her request went unheeded, as the media’s interest in Diana only grew.
16 February 1982: Prince Charles & Princess Diana make a brief stopover in Nassau, Bahamas on their way to Windermere Island, Eleuthera for a 10 day holiday pic.twitter.com/wMdmWsitdl
— ALL PRINCESS DIANA (@princessdibooks) February 16, 2023
The photos, widely circulated on Reddit , prompted a mix of reactions from netizens. Many joked about Charles’s pose, with one quipping, “Haha, copping a princely feel. Very strange to see him so young as well,” Another Reddit user echoed, “Very good grope there, my lord! Excellently executed!” As reported by Express , years later, in the 2019 documentary Royal Baby , Edwards admitted, “Charles and Diana were going off to the Bahamas on holiday, and I said, ‘Yes, let’s go!’ We were, of course, hidden in the bushes, and I got these pictures of Diana pregnant in a bikini on the beach with the Prince of Wales.”
The publication of the photos caused an uproar both within Buckingham Palace and in the political sphere, especially since Diana was pregnant at the time. Edwards acknowledged the backlash. “They were intrusive pictures. There was a massive row here and in the House of Commons. Questions were asked.” The scandal extended beyond the royal household, sparking debates in the House of Commons over the ethical implications of such invasive media practices.
Wise comments from Prince William about the media and setting boundaries. #PrinceWilliam #PrinceofWales #PrincessCatherine #BritishRoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/b3nRs5Kg0v
— Consider Me (@VampireGurrrl) March 2, 2024
Reflecting on his actions, Edwards regretted, “I probably wouldn’t do it again, not anymore. Well, also now, Will would sue you,” referencing Prince William’s firm stance on privacy. According to International Business Times , William, deeply affected by the media scrutiny that defined much of his mother’s life and his childhood, has since issued legal warnings and pursued actions against publications spreading false claims or violating his family’s boundaries.
This incident was not the first time the Queen sought to protect her family from intrusive media coverage. The monarch reportedly authorized a crackdown on paparazzi in 2009 following repeated privacy breaches. Despite these efforts, similar scandals continued to arise over the years. In 2012, topless photographs of Kate Middleton were published by a French magazine, resulting in a legal battle and $120,000 in damages. A Kensington Palace spokesperson condemned the publication for its ‘serious breach of privacy.’