Royal Photographer Makes A Bold Comparison About Camilla And Princess Diana's Personalities
Princess Diana died in 1997 — over two decades ago — and she still remains one of the most beloved royals, and celebrities, in history by the measure of many. Long before Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle became arguably the most famous women in the monarchy, it was Diana who was, by most accounts, stalked by and ultimately killed by the paparazzi. It was Diana who was the most photographed woman in the world until her tragic death.
In the years since she died, photographers have said many things about Diana. Notably, royal photographer David Bailey snarked recently about his famous subject, "Terrible hair. You know, from the hairspray. The strands were as solid as a plastic mannequin" (via L'Officiel).
But royal photographer Anwar Hussein, who said he grew to enjoy a close working relationship with the royal, calling her a "good human," also previously gushed about Diana, saying although she admitted posing made her feel awkward, she had an "uncanny" way of being able to portray her mood in photos (via Yahoo! News). He stopped short of calling her moody.
Of course, the people's princess is long gone and in her place is Camilla Parker Bowles. So what do photographers say about her?
Camilla Parker Bowles struggles with public life like Diana did
Camilla Parker Bowles may not be as photogenic as Prince Charles' first wife. But she is still widely photographed now that she is set to become queen consort one day (via SCMP). As such, the Duchess of Cornwall is developing her own relationship with royal photographers, with them making judgments about her personality like they did with Diana.
It's worth noting that living in the public eye has been a struggle for Camilla much like Diana, with the royal saying in 2017, "Sometimes you get up in the morning and think you can't do it, and you just have to" (via Daily Mail). She also noted that having a can-do attitude is key.
It seems that positivity shines through, at least if you ask royal photographer Arthur Edwards. As he told The Daily Telegraph in a shocking new interview, Camilla "is nicer than the Princess of Wales" (via Daily Mail). Edwards added Charles' second wife is easier to get along with. But that's not all he has to say on the subject of comparing Camilla and Diana.
Princess Diana admitted she wasn't happy
As Princess Diana admitted, in many ways royal life did not suit her. About her wedding day, she confessed, "I don't think I was happy" (via Insider). So perhaps royal fans should not be too surprised by Arthur Edwards' characterization of the people's princess' personality as compared to that of Camilla Parker Bowles.
Indeed, as he told The Daily Telegraph, the Duchess of Cornwall seems kinder and easier to "get on with" by his estimation (via Daily Mail). And like Anwar Hussein, it seems he also got the impression that Diana could be sulky at times.
"Diana used to have her moods, and when she died, she wasn't talking to her mother or Sarah Ferguson because of silly rows," Edwards said, adding about Camilla, "You don't get that with the Duchess."
To be fair, Diana has been gone for nearly a quarter century, so perhaps the comparison isn't a fair one in the end.