Princess Diana Delivered a Brutal Comeback When a Photographer Criticized Her "Boyish" Haircut
Arthur Edwards shares the hilarious story in a new book chronicling his 50-plus-year career.
Princess Diana’s haircut was one of the most copied styles in the world when she married Prince Charles in 1981. Through the years, she experimented with different versions of her shaggy cut, but it was in 1991 that she went even shorter, causing veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards to have a cheeky exchange with the princess.
Edwards, 86, has been the Sun’s royal photographer for five decades, and in his upcoming new book, Cup Of Tea, Arthur? he shares insights from his incredible career, including some hilarious stories about Diana.
In an excerpt from the book shared in the Sun, Edwards wrote about Princess Diana’s famous hair, sharing that she had just got “a very short new haircut” before visiting RAF Scampton Air Force base in March 1991.
Princess Diana meets families at RAF Scampton in March 1991.
Edwards teased Diana about her short haircut at the event.
Wearing a navy blazer-style dress with white buttons and a striped skirt, Diana looked suitably patriotic while visiting the base, but Edwards said he “was appalled” when he noticed her “boyish hairdo.”
However, Edwards noted that “at the time, Vogue model Linda Evangelista had made short crops ultra-fashionable and the Princess seemed to be following the trend.”
“At the end of the job, I didn’t waste time with pleasantries and warned her: ‘If you keep cutting your hair short, you’ll end up looking like that pop star Sinead O’Connor,’” Edwards recalled. “Diana blushed to the roots before pointing at my thinning scalp. ‘At least I’ve got some hair, Arthur,’ she snapped back with a wicked grin.”
Princess Diana smiles at her bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, during the event.
Princess Diana seemed pleased with her comeback, per Edwards, who said he "laughed and admitted defeat."
"As Diana got into the official car, she turned to her chauffeur and said with a chuckle: 'That shut him up!'" the photographer added.
Edwards also wrote about Diana's caring side, revealing that she "sent her own doctor to visit" when he became unwell during a royal trip to Egypt. "He gave me the right advice to get me back on my feet," the photographer shared. "I had lost seven pounds in four days and this must have been obvious when I arrived at the museum to photograph the princess looking at the treasures from King Tutankhamun’s tomb."
However, the royal couldn't resist throwing in a joke. "As she walked in, cheeky Diana said: 'I’ll tell you this, it’s done wonders for your waistline,'" Edwards recalled.
