logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
9m 11s

Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In 1992, a photograph of Princess Diana alone on a bench in front of the Taj Mahal became one of the most famous photos in the world.

Anwar Hussein was a photographer who documented the lives of the British royal family. His first visit to the Taj Mahal was to photograph Prince Charles in 1980.

He tells Gill Kearsley about his relationship with the royal family and about taking the iconic photograph.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Princess Diana alone outside the Taj Mahal. Credit: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

Up next
Today
Creating CAPTCHA
In 2000, as the internet expanded, websites faced a growing challenge to stop spam bots from flooding their systems.To separate humans from machines, researchers at the United States’ Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, created the Completely Automated Public ... Show More
10m 7s
Yesterday
The creation of the International Criminal Court
In 1998, at a conference organised by the United Nations, a blueprint was devised for what would be the world's first permanent International Criminal Court.Judge Phillipe Kirsch chaired the Rome conference that led to the formation of the court. He tells Gill Kearsley about the ... Show More
10m 23s
Aug 22
Geneva Conventions
In 1859, Swiss businessman Henry Dunant witnessed the Battle of Solferino, in Italy. He couldn’t believe the lack of aid for the wounded soldiers and came up with two ideas – a voluntary aid organisation and an international treaty to protect those injured in wartime. They went o ... Show More
10m 2s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2014
The Nepali Royal Massacre
In June 2001 the Crown Prince of Nepal killed both his parents and other members of his family in a shooting at the royal palace. Witness speaks to his cousin, who survived the massacre.(Photo: Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Crown Prince of Nepal. Credit: Getty Images) 
8m 54s
Sep 2022
Princess Diana's Bodyguard
It's been exactly 25 years since the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The "people's princess" was beloved by the public and there is still much affection for her. Kieran was joined by Lee Sansum, author and security specialist, who was Princess Diana's bodyguard. 
11m 17s
Feb 2021
Princess Diana and the Paparazzi | 41
When Princess Diana, along with her boyfriend and driver were killed in a car crash on August 31, 1997, the course of history changed. The ‘People’s Princess’ and the mother to a future King was dead and a reckoning with the paparazzi was about to begin. From the moment Diana beg ... Show More
52m 10s
Feb 2010
Is the Taj Mahal a symbol of love?
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mogul ruler Shah Jahan as a memorial to his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In this episode, Sarah and Katie delve into the stories of one of the world's most opulent mausoleums. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comS ... Show More
12m 54s
Sep 2022
What is left of Princess Diana?
The shock of her death on 31 August 1997 sparked mass public mourning, a crisis within the royal family, and a test of the prime minister Tony Blair’s leadership. A quarter of a century later, how is “the People’s Princess” remembered? Reporter Tanya Gold goes in search of the wo ... Show More
21m 42s
Sep 2022
Queen Elizabeth II
We hear personal accounts of historical moments during the seventy year reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Memories from the Queen's maids of honour from her coronation in 1953; the huge race her horse very nearly won as well as the Windsor Castle fire and the opening to the public of ... Show More
50m 4s
Dec 2020
The Life and Death of Princess Diana
More than two decades since the tragic death of Princess Diana, Dateline reveals new insights into the real story of the very private royal, including a look at Diana’s troubled marriage, her turbulent life in the royal family and the investigation into her death. With the rise i ... Show More
1h 20m
Jun 2023
Amazing photographs and the people who took them
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History stories. We focus on some of the world’s best known photographs - and the photographers who took them. We find out why Lee Miller was in Hitler’s bath in the dying days of World War Two; and historian Dr Pippa Oldfi ... Show More
51m 43s
Aug 2019
Diana, Princess of Wales
In July 1981, Princess Diana became the first non-royal to marry into the British Royal family in centuries. As the Princess of Wales, she became a style icon and a humanitarian force, all while contending with the very public infidelity of her husband, Charles, heir apparent to ... Show More
48m 28s