Prince William Does Princess Diana's Makeup in a Rediscovered Clip

published 7 December 2020

Prince William helps mom Princess Diana (opens in new tab) apply her makeup in a rediscovered behind-the-scenes video from a royal photoshoot.
William was only three when the sweet video was filmed.
The photoshoot took place in 1985, depicting Diana, William, and 1-year-old Prince Harry at home in Kensington Palace.

Here is an exceptionally sweet royal throwback to start your week: A 1985 clip of a 3-year-old Prince William helping with Princess Diana's makeup has reemerged on social media, and it's exactly as cute as you might expect. In the clip, William gently pats his mom's face with a powder puff as she smiles back at him (flinching only once or twice when he attempts to powder her eyes). The young prince wears a checked shirt and bright red shorts, while Diana wears a blue floral dress. See the adorable clip here. (opens in new tab)

As Tatler reports (opens in new tab), the clip belongs to a behind-the-scenes video from a famous royal photoshoot, featuring Diana, William, and a 1-year-old Prince Harry. In several of the final photos, taken by photographer Tim Graham, William and Harry sit at the piano in their Kensington Palace home, with Diana standing behind them. The images are some of the most iconic of William and Harry's early childhood.

london, united kingdom october 04 princess diana with prince william and prince henry harry on the piano at home in kensington palace dress designed by kanga lady dale tryon photo by tim graham photo library via getty images

While the public's fascination with Princess Diana has remained strong in the 13 years since her untimely death, she's currently the subject of intensified interest, thanks to both the latest season of The Crown and the new investigation into her 1995 Panorama interview (opens in new tab) with BBC journalist Martin Bashir. In the interview, Diana spoke candidly about the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles, the profound pressures of royal life, and her experiences of bulimia and self-harm—and according to royal historian Robert Lacey, a 13-year old William watched the interview and cried (opens in new tab).

Lacey said that "something inside [William] snapped" as he watched the interview while boarding at Eton. "Before the 58 minutes ended, William was weeping," Lacey writes in William and Harry biography Battle of Brothers, explaining that the prince's Eton housemaster, Dr. Andrew Gailey, saw his emotional response. "Gailey told Diana that he found her son slumped on the sofa, his eyes red with tears."