New Princess Diana photography exhibition will tell the real stories behind famous pictures – including the late royal’s favourite photo of herself

The hidden stories behind famous photos of Princess Diana will be shared in a successful exhibition coming to London for the first time.

Iconic moments including Diana’s wedding to Charles in 1981, her black ‘revenge dress’ and groundbreaking gymwear style are all on display in the Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition.

Photographers Anwar Hussein and his two sons Samir and Zak will share their remarkable photographs of the late Princess and her family, combined with their first-hand accounts of the stories behind each moment.

The film has so far been shown in Melbourne, South Carolina, Las Vegas and more – and now comes to St Katharine Docks in London for the first time from May 25.

The exhibition features “larger-than-life sculptures, bespoke art installations and first-hand accounts” in a 60-minute experience that delves into the lives of the royal family.

Diana visits Ascot the month before her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981, wearing a striped dress and matching lilac hat

The exhibition shares some lesser-known images, such as this one of Diana wearing a casual white shirt dress while visiting Ayers Rock during a royal tour of Australia in 1983.

Anwar said Diana told him that a photo of her cradling a child during a visit to a hospital in Lahore in 1996 was her “favorite photo of all.”

Accredited by the Royal Family, the Husseins are the longest-standing family of official royal photographers, having collectively worked side by side with the Princess and her family for more than forty years.

They were given special access to document the lives of the royal family in public, but also to capture more intimate, private moments, including the unforgettable revenge dress that dared to break royal protocol and the simple handshake of the princess with an AIDS patient who showed the world how to be human.

Samir and Zak followed their father’s footsteps into royal photography by documenting the lives of Diana’s sons Prince William and Prince Harry, and are now multi-award winning and celebrated photographers themselves

One story the exhibition tells is the moving image of Diana cradling a sick child in her arms during her visit to Imran Khan’s cancer hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, in April 1996.

The photographers talk about the moment: ‘Diana later told me that of the many photos taken of her, this was her favorite…

“She was so sad to hear that the boy had died shortly after her visit.”

The exhibition tells how iconic photos of Diana wearing her ‘Fly Virgin Atlantic’ jersey, a gift from Sir Richard Branson, might never have come to light without the personal relationship between Anwar and the princess.

Anwar Hussein and his two sons Samir and Zak (pictured outside Buckingham Palace) will share their remarkable photos of the late princess and her family

Some of the photos featured include the infamous image of Diana sitting alone outside the Taj Mahal as her marriage to Prince Charles crumbled

Photos of Diana wearing her Virgin Atlantic sweatshirt in 1995 might never have come to light without a conversation with photographer Anwar

Princess Diana attending a passing out parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, Surrey, April 1987

Princess Diana visits the Mianpur Old Age Welfare Center in India in February 1992, wearing a cream-colored dress with a pleated skirt and gold buttons, designed by Catherine Walker.

Diana wears a pink dress with blue polka dots and a pink jacket by Paul Costelloe

He wore a cream halter dress in 1992 at a Plácido Domingo event in Covent Garden, London

Diana often wore it when she left the gym at Chelsea Harbor Club in London.

Anwar’s sons describe: ‘Dad told Diana he wanted to see how health conscious she was and be inspired by her.

“She agreed, so he took these photos of Diana coming out of the gym.

‘Her popularity skyrocketed as audiences showed their admiration for her willingness to go against the grain and forego formality.’

In addition to the famous revenge dress and the iconic photo of Diana at the Taj Mahal, the family also shed light on photos of Diana that haven’t been seen as often by the public.

One shows Diana in a casual white shirt dress during a visit to Ayers Rock during a royal tour of Australia in 1983.

Anwar has been a photographer for the royal family for many years and his family has been working with them for forty years

Diana in her wedding carriage during her wedding to Charles in 1981

She wore a strapless black dress during her first official public appearance with Charles in March 1981 at a black-tie event at Goldsmith’s Hall in aid of the Royal Opera House

Diana in Melbourne, Australia 1988, visiting the Victorian College of the Arts School of Music

Photos from the exhibition, which comes to St Katharine Docks from May 25

It also includes other iconic photos of the royal family, such as Prince Harry and Meghan

In another, she heads to Ascot the month before her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981, wearing a striped dress and matching lilac hat.

Anwar said: “I am honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to photograph Princess Diana so extensively and to have had the pleasure of having many friendly and insightful conversations with her.

‘I am delighted that the images taken, as well as those of my sons, are coming to London to recognize and commemorate such a remarkable woman and her sons.

“There are so many memories of our two families bonding and building a special relationship, and I am pleased to be able to showcase these in such a unique way through the exhibition.”

The Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition will open on 25 May 2024 at Dockside Vaults in St Katharine Docks until 2 September.

Tickets are available to book from 10am on Thursday 29 February and can be pre-ordered now from £17 from PrincessDiana.London