Photographer makes shock realisation about Charles and Diana snap taken nearly 40 yrs ago

Prince Charles and Princess Diana travelled to the Cannes Film Festival in 1987 - five years before their separation was announced.

By Catherine Meyer-Funnell, Royal Reporter based in London, Fran Bowden

Charles and Diana: Expert on 'deterioration' of relationship

When King Charles was still the Prince of Wales, and still married to Princess Diana, the couple paid a visit to the Cannes Film Festival when a photographer captured a particularly telling image of them.

In 1987, Richard Blanshard was at the festival snapping pictures of all the stars present, including the royals, but when he looked back he noticed something in the picture of them.

He later told The Mirror about the black and white photo: "When I look at the images now it seems clear their relationship wasn’t in a great place."

Charles and Diana married in a lavish ceremony on July 29, 1981, watched by millions around the world.

They welcomed sons Prince William and Prince Harry in June 1982 and September 1984 respectively, but by 1992 the pair had separated and divorced four years later.

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Charles and Diana on Cannes red carpet

Prince Charles and Princess Diana in Cannes (Image: Getty)

The tensions between them became so great that one royal member of staff working for them at the time of their split claimed it was the "job from hell".

The Queen Mother’s former equerry, Major Colin Burgess, told the Daily Mail in April 2017: "I would never have worked for Charles at that time, not even for double the money I was on at Clarence House.

"His separation from Princess Diana polarised their staff, who had no choice but to take sides, and if you walked into any of his offices you could easily witness something being thrown at someone in anger.

"Even the Prince would pick things up and launch them at one of his staff if that person had done something wrong, or said something inappropriate to the press."

Charles and Diana in black and white

Charles and Diana did not look happy (Image: Getty)

Major Burgess added that working for the late Princess was not much better: "Equally, being Princess Diana’s equerry would have been the job from hell because she was then on the verge of a complete breakdown.

"She regularly went off into London alone, without any bodyguards, sparking mass panic among those back at Kensington Palace who would launch a hunt to find her."

Charles has found happiness with Queen Camilla, with the couple due to celebrate 20 years of marriage in April 2025.

Wedding Of Prince Charles & Lady Diana Spencer

Charles and Diana on their wedding day in 1981 (Image: Getty)

In an exclusive interview with Daily Express, astrologer Inbaal Honigman, speaking on behalf of Slingo, explained the significance of the date: "King Charles, who is a powerful Scorpio, and Queen Camilla, who is a nurturing Cancer, got married on April 9, 2005. This date falls during Aries season.

"Aries is a lively and energetic sign, and Aries season is a time for new, bold experiences. Aries season can take place on slightly different days each year.

"On the year of the King's wedding, the dates during which the Sun was in Aries were March 21, 2005 - April 20, 2005."

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