A photo of Princess Diana smiling beside David Bowie at a London concert stayed hidden for decades, even though nothing about it seemed scandalous. When it finally surfaced, people started asking why such a simple moment had been kept quiet for so long, and what the palace was trying to avoid.
The moment took place in 1987 at a charity concert at Wembley Stadium. Diana was 25 years old and Bowie was the headliner that night. Promoter Harvey Goldsmith organized the event, and photographer Denis O’Regan, who had worked with Bowie before, was invited backstage.
O’Regan later explained in an interview with the local news that Diana was asked if she wanted a photo taken with Bowie. She paused for a moment and wondered if Bowie would even agree to it, but there was no issue and the picture was taken without any hesitation.
The image showed nothing unusual, just two well known figures smiling together. Still, the next day the palace stepped in and asked that the photo not be published. It was not because the image was inappropriate, and it was not because Bowie was involved.
The real concern was who Diana had arrived with that evening. She came with Major James Hewitt, and there were rumors at the time about a relationship between them that had not yet become public. The palace did not want anything fueling that speculation.
O’Regan explained why Hewitt was never photographed, saying, “No one knew who he was so I had no reason to picture him and the word wasn’t out yet about their relationship.” Hewitt stayed out of sight, and O’Regan chose not to push the situation further.
Because of the palace request, O’Regan decided not to release the photo himself. Even years later, he has said he stands by that decision, believing it was the right call given the pressure and circumstances surrounding Diana at the time.
Diana later revealed that she was also criticized for what she wore to the concert. In her biography, she wrote about choosing leather pants, which upset the royal family. She defended herself by saying she wanted to look the same age as the audience she was there to see.
Nearly 40 years later, the photo has finally been released as part of a new biography of David Bowie featuring O’Regan’s work. Today it feels harmless, but it quietly shows how tightly Princess Diana’s image was once controlled behind the scenes.
