They were photos of a shy and blushing kindergarten teacher that captivated the world.
Lady Diana Spencer, the new girlfriend of Prince Charles, was seen with some of the young children in her care in a park near the Young England Kindergarten in Pimlico.
In one particularly iconic image, the woman who would go on to enrapture millions as the Princess of Wales stood with one youngster on her hip and another nervously clutching her hand.
The bright sun shone through her skirt, revealing for the first time her famous legs.
The pictures, first revealed 44 years ago today on September 17, 1980, showed off the woman who, it had recently emerged, was dating the future King.
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Lady Diana Spencer seen near the Young England Kindergarten in Pimlico, London, with two of the children in her care, 1980
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Lady Diana Spencer with two youngsters who were in her care at the Young England Kindergarten
Until then, there had been very few pictures of Lady Diana.
One or two showed her walking from her flat in Earls Court to her car. There was also one other of her taken a few days before at Balmoral in Scotland.
Diana hid behind a tree when she spotted photographers and used the mirror on her compact to try to see where lensmen were.
But the pictures that were taken were nothing like those taken in Pimlico, which were of course taken with the Princess’s permission.
The story behind those iconic pictures has become as fascinating as the images themselves, which led to her being known for some time as Shy Di.
Two journalists from rival newspapers were told by their editors to find out more about the young 19-year-old.
They decided to join forces and knew she worked for a nursery somewhere in Pimlico.
So, they set about hitting the phones and eventually struck lucky at the Young England Kindergarten.
A deal was agreed that in return for her posing for a picture, she and the kindergarten would be left in peace.
Around half a dozen photographers and a few reporters turned up and Diana went with them to a nearby park.
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Lady Diana Spencer perches on the edge of a bench outside the Young England Kindergarten, 1980
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The 19-year-old posed for the images after her romance with Prince Charles became public knowledge
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Diana Spencer, who would go on to become the Princess of Wales, kneels on the grass with two youngsters at the Young England nursery in Pimlico, 1980
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Lady Diana Spencer holds a young child in her arms and holds another by the hand
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Lady Diana Spencer with two children at the Young England Kindergarten at St George’s Square, Pimlico
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Lady Diana Spencer walks hand in hand with two children at the Young England Kindergarten in Pimlico, 1980
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Lady Diana Spencer walks with her arms behind her back at the Young England Kindergarten, September 1980
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Lady Diana Spencer seen kneeling on the grass at the Young England Kindergarten with two youngsters
But she insisted that she took two of her charges with her.
As she posed, one of the photographers asked her to turn round and face in the opposite direction as the sun was shining on her face.
She duly agreed and turned round.
One must remember at this point that there were no digital cameras in those days. They only shot film which had to be sent back to the office to be developed.
And so it was that Diana stood there wearing a sleeveless pullover over her blouse and her flowing dress.
What no one realised at the time that the sun now behind her had lit up her legs like a spotlight through the dress. She was not wearing a petticoat.
The photo session with the amazing silhouette picture lasted no more than two or three minutes.
Photographers could only speculate what the picture would be like until they got back to their offices and hey presto, they had all managed to get that great picture which was splashed over all the front pages the following day.
But when Diana saw the picture the following day she was appalled and moaned to Prince Charles: ‘I don’t want to be known as the girlfriend with no petticoat.’
In the run up to Prince Charles and Diana announcing their engagement, in February 1981, speculation had been rife about the future King’s love life as he entered his thirties still a bachelor.
The couple of course went on to marry on July 29, 1981, in a ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral that was watched by an estimated 750million people in 74 countries.
They would divorce 15 years later.
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In the run up to Prince Charles and Diana announcing their engagement, in February 1981, speculation had been rife about the future King’s love life as he entered his thirties still a bachelor. Above: The couple outside Buckingham Palace after announcing their upcoming marriage
But Diana’s gradual transformation into ‘the people’s princess’ eventually helped improve the public perception of the monarchy.
Diana allowed herself to be photographed holding sick infants. She hugged people who had AIDS and touched leprosy patients.
That is why her death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997 left so many people bereft.
She had bloomed from a shy young bride into a strong, outspoken woman not afraid to fight her corner.
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The Daily Mail’s coverage of the pictures taken with children from the Young England nursery
