PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES 'THEY'RE BEING PHOTOGRAPHED AS NORMAL PEOPLE WHICH FOR ROYALTY IS AMAZING

PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN SNAPS OF DIANA, THE KING AND PRINCE WILLIAM GIVE A RARE GLIMPSE OF A HAPPIER FAMILY LIFE

- RHONA MERCER

While we’re used to pictures of the royal family out and about on public engagements, it’s not often that we get the chance to see what goes on behind the scenes.

But last week a never-before-seen set of intimate photographs of the King and Diana, then Prince and Princess of Wales, were released. In them, they are captured doting on their three-month-old son, Prince William, at Balmoral in September 1982.

The adorable images – taken during a visit to the royal estate in Aberdeenshire by a friend of the family, British Airways businessman Baron King – show the couple spending time with their new baby boy, and give us a rare insight into their life away from the public glare.

We also see a softer side to the man who is now our monarch as he cradles his first born, while the candid shots also show an off-duty Diana dressed casually in neutral knitwear and wellies or flat shoes. The late Queen Elizabeth II, meanwhile, looks relaxed and happy as she enjoys spending time on her beloved Scottish estate.

The previously unreleased pictures were made public ahead of them being auctioned at Willingham Auctions in Cambridgeshire. Stephen Drake, who is managing the sale, described the images as a “one-off”.

He said, “There were lots of photos taken of Diana, but these offer a really personal insight. Diana, Charles and William look like a complete family group. You see a lot of press photos but these are nothing like those – they are being photographed as normal people, which for royalty is an amazing experience to see. The photo of Charles holding William is such an amazing photo. He looks like such a proud, happy father.”