Why Princess Diana Was Allegedly "Tricky" and "Seductive" When It Came to the Paparazzi

As one of the world's most famous women, Princess Diana was regularly photographed, both at events and in her daily life. The former Princess of Wales allegedly developed an unusual relationship with the paparazzi, which apparently involved tipping off photographers. However, Diana was also called "paranoid," a term Prince Harry dismissed, suggesting his mother was correct for fearing the intense press intrusion she experienced.

Royal expert Tina Brown discussed Princess Diana's relationship with the paparazzi in her book The Palace Papers, released in 2022. "Time and time again, as we have seen, Diana chose to invade her own privacy, often for the capricious reason of making the men in her life jealous," Brown alleged (via the Daily Mail). According to Brown, Diana attempted to control the use of her image at times, even through the press often invaded her privacy.

Discussing some of the tactics Diana employed with the paparazzi, including allegedly revealing where they might spot her with a new lover, Brown wrote, "This is classic, authentic Diana—tricky, seductive, playing a double game."

Despite suggesting that Diana was sometimes able to control the paparazzi, Brown admitted that the actions of some photographers were unforgivable. "It would be unreasonable to ask that William and Harry forgive the paparazzi who trained their cameras on their beloved mother's dying moments in the Paris tunnel," Brown wrote, referencing the fatal car crash that took Diana's life in August 1997. "Today, her sons express their lasting contempt for the press in different ways: William with a grim, steely obsession with control; Harry with tortured, vocal...condemnation."

Reflecting on Princess Diana's relationship with photographers, Brown alleged, "The camera was Diana's fatal attraction and her most potent weapon—the source of so much power and so much pain. She was always gambling with those odds."