Samir Hussein, an award-winning photographer who captured the now world-famous picture of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaning into each other under an umbrella in 2020 that went viral, described it as “unusual”.
He told the Telegraph: “It was very noticeable when Meghan came on the scene just how tactile she was, like holding the Duke’s hand and being arm-in-arm, so that was quite unusual.”
The exhibition, titled “Princess Diana: Accredited Access”, will open at St Katharine Docks, London, on May 25 after successful runs in the US, Australia and Canada.
It is a collection of images taken by the longest-serving royal photographer - and Hussein’s father - Anwar Hussein, as well as those from his and his brother Zak’s collection.
Samir Hussein's father - Anwar Hussein - has documented the lives of five generations of royals over his career. Pictured here is his photo of Princess Diana in her infamous "revenge" dress. Photo / WireImage
The family passion for photographing the royals spans seven decades, during which time the trio have curated a collection of official pictures of five generations of the monarchy.
“Each photo in the exhibition has a unique, untold story,” Sam said, “and we really explore how Diana changed the world - her influence just on so many about royal life.
“It shows how she was a royal mum, and modernised motherhood in many ways as a royal by being very hands-on and a loving mom, and you can see that legacy in William and Harry.
“We also explore how she is the fashion icon and spearheaded a new era of royal fashion in many respects, and also [was] just such an amazing humanitarian.”
The Duchess of Sussex with her husband-to-be in Nottingham in 2017. Photo / AP
Anwar Hussein’s younger son, Zak, added: “We’re photographing her children now, so bringing that element [to the exhibition] brings a lot to it.”
The two brothers, now in their 40s, spent a lot of their childhood surrounded by royalty because of their father.
Sam Hussein recalled days where they would accompany his father, now 86, to the polo, where he would be photographing the then-Prince Charles playing while Princess Diana watched.
“It was very relaxed,” he said. “We would play around, and William and Harry would be playing there as well, so we were kind of exposed to all of that from a young age.”
Zak added the fact they were of similar ages to the princes meant they could “relate” to them in a different way.
The brothers told the Telegraph they aim to continue their father’s style of photographing the royal family in a more “candid” manner, catching them in moments between formalities rather than always posing for the lens.
He wanted to shoot “more of a human side that makes them more relatable”, Sam Hussein said, adding: “I think that’s something that we’ve tried to continue.”
The exhibition, which will run to September 2, displays the family’s photographs in life-size formats and provides a unique audio tour - narrated by both brothers - to guide the experience.
The Hussein family has previously hosted exhibitions of their royal photos in the US, Australia and Canada. Photo / MediaNews Group
Speaking about the long-running show finally coming to the home of the royals, Zak said: “It just means a lot more being in the UK, where a lot of pictures were taken. It feels like more of a homecoming event.”
Anwar Hussein also credited the exhibition “coming home” to London.
He said: “I am delighted that the images captured, as well as those of my sons, are coming home to London to recognise and memorialise such a remarkable woman and her sons.”
“There are so many memories of our two families connecting and creating a special relationship, which I am pleased to be able to display in such a unique way through the exhibition,” he added.
