See Princess Diana like never
before in an all new exhibit,
touring internationally.
We're stepping inside Tysons Corner in
Virginia for a one on one tour with
the exhibits curator Clifton Skeletor.
The reactions have been unbelievable. I
watch people go through the exhibit, right?
You put the headphones on, you listen to it.
You're brought into a story and I've
watched people laugh. There's oz.
I I've seen people cry in this exhibit.
Because it touches so many monumental
moments in the life of Princess Diana,
he calls it the world's first
ever walk through documentary,
featuring 8 foot tall displays of world
famous images all captured by Diana's
trusted friend and royal photographer,
it's all because of this man and
his creative vision.
That's absolutely it.
So that's Anwar Hussein.
Those are his two lovely sons,
right there. It's a wild story,
because this was a man that grew up, you
know, as a little boy,
walking to school with no shoes on.
Barefoot, and he got his hands on a camera,
and he went from shooting photos
of animals to rock stars to
Royals and for over 50 years,
he's been with the royal family,
Anwar and Princess Diana.
They spent so much time travelling
together so she shared stories
that nobody else knows about,
and we share a lot of them in this exhibit.
Pop on the headphones as Anwar
and his sons guide you through a
stunning audiovisual journey to see
the Princess who changed the world.
This exhibition is a dedication.
To me and my son's journey with Princess
Diana and her family in so many ways,
he grew up with Diana.
I mean you have photos ranging
from this first photo
when she's 18 years old.
Yeah, this was.
I mean, this was when there were
rumors that she was dating Charles
and she hadn't had any experience
with the press surrounding her yet.
So this is it. This she,
her whole future,
is in front of her at this point.
This is the one that really
warms my heart the most.
I love it. Look at her.
They're on the maid of the
mist and Niagara Falls.
I mean on the sea, Doo down here, right?
Just like cruising around I
love that this is the mom race.
She took this race so seriously.
So you just ran. You could tell
she ran with everything in there.
She was not.
She did not want to lose that day,
so I love it because I also think
she was an icon even though
she wasn't a single mother.
She represented single mothers in this
way of this woman that was very independent,
raising her two boys and putting
in all of that time.
I think she represented so many
different groups they were able
to project themselves onto her
and that's why people relate.
You can see yourself in her and
all of these very human moments
in the middle of this institution.
That is in so many ways.
Unrelatable absolutely.
I think that especially when it
comes to the the Royals, this is a
thing that's been in place for so
long. Changing it is very difficult right?
When Princess Diana was in the spotlight.
That was before Instagram.
That was before ticked out.
It was before social media.
Original influencer, exactly.
And so these images.
It's not something that she can curate
to the point of posting all the time.
So moment like this.
The revenge dress.
This goes everywhere in the paparazzi.
I like how
you phrase that, though,
because it there was a sense with her.
It was almost like she was posting
a photo because she didn't know
how to work with the press.
She knew how to work with photographers
and this is a great example.
I mean, it had just come out that
Charles was having an affair.
He admitted it right and immediately she came
out wearing what is now known
as the revenge dresses,
beautiful black dress.
And I mean this blew up the media.
Everybody was taught it went
viral right as they would.
Well, as we call it now, she
was a fashion icon and the exhibit shows
3D replicas of some
unforgettable accessories.
But the selected photographs show so
much more than her impeccable style,
they capture her empathy, spirit, and heart.
Diana's influence was on a global scale,
and in the AIDS crisis she did
something that. Rocked the bow.
This is, I mean, there's so many
great moments with her and the
things she did to give back,
and there's a reason why she's called
the People's Princess because she
actually cared about the people.
And in the 80s, during the AIDS crisis,
the hysteria around it was at a
level at which we could relate to.
Right now in the current times that
we're living in, it was unbelievable.
People did not want to touch
people with AIDS or HIV.
She shook this patient's hand in the public.
Right, this went out to the
entire world and made a statement,
and people spoke afterwards about
how all of a sudden their family
members would be able to hug them,
be able to shake their hands,
be able to touch them,
be able to connect with them,
and that has done a lot
for that community of people that
are suffering through one of the most
terrifying experiences of their life.
The think of the heart of that
woman and what she was able to
do with it is an inspiration.
August 2022 marks the 25th
anniversary of her untimely death,
but the exhibit celebrates the achievements.
Influence and impact.
Diana had and continues to have on the world.
For WSA 9 I'm Michelle Logan.