Diana: Portrait of a Princess Hardcover – August 31, 1998, by Jayne Fincher (Author), Judy Wade (Contributor). An array of five hundred photographs, many never before released, provides a visual portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales, and includes anecdotes about and reflections on Diana's life Amazon.com Review Alone among award-winning photographers, Jayne Fincher snapped some of the most private moments ever seen of the late Princess Diana. What's her secret? Perhaps it's because, as an official royal photographer, she did not provoke the fear and panic that outside photographers tragically did, and her status as the only woman in the pool of royal photographers somehow put the royal family and the Princess of Wales off their guard in her presence. Diana: Portrait of a Princess contains never-before-seen photos from the early 1980s until Diana's death in August of 1997. Fincher captures the shy, awkward Lady Spencer, the picture of innocence and bewilderment thrust onto the global stage. Later in this chronologically ordered collection we see this young woman evolve into the glamorous and sophisticated princess. Some of the most striking images reflect the raw emotion and revealing intimacy in Diana's life, such as the private moments in which you can sense her fiercely tender devotion to her sons. Many of the natural, spontaneous shots depict a deeply distressed woman, trapped in a world of conformity, while still other pictures illustrate the growing strain in her loveless marriage to Prince Charles. Royal writer Judy Wade worked with Fincher to provide the text to go with these, the best of Fincher's 30,000 candid images of Princess Di. From Kirkus Reviews In one of what will undoubtedly be a host of tributes on the anniversary of her death comes a collection of several hundred color photographs of ``the people's princess,'' taken by the only female photographer granted access to Diana by Buckingham Palace. Ranging front Diana's emergence on the scene in 1980 up to the extraordinary events surrounding her funeral, Fincher's workmanlike photographs serve to remind the viewer both how exhausting Diana's public schedule was and how uniquely photogenic she was. Ranging from diplomatic receptions to balls to sporting events, the chronologically arranged photos also chart Diana's emergence as a confident public figure, as well as the deterioration of her marriage (there are some memorable shots of an acutely embarrassed couple at public events, clearly anxious to be away from each other). The most memorable shots are of Diana and her sons; her love for them is almost palpable. Judy Wade, a journalist, sets down Finchers carefully diplomatic recollections of Diana and Charles. Those who were fans of the princess and pictorial icon will find this a vivid review. Others may be moved to a contemplation of the peculiar modern fixation with celebrity. (500 color photographs) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.