Just five months before her tragic death in August 1997, Princess Diana was photographed by Mario Testino for Vanity Fair. Diana, Princess of Wales by Mario Testino at Kensington Palace brings together the most beautiful images from this last portrait sitting, displaying Diana in a state of relaxation and intimacy unlike any other. The selection of about seventy photographs includes many unseen images which, alongside previously published images, fill in the untold story of the shoot.

Features include:

• Foreword by Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair
• Introduction by Meredith Etherington-Smith, who played a major role in arranging the sitting in 1997
• Interview with Mario Testino conducted by Hamish Bowles

Candid, tender, poignant, provocative — the photographs by Mario Testino in Diana: Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace allow readers an entree into the private world of a beloved icon where an uncensored view — of a woman who influenced the world — is on display.

This book is being launched to coincide with an exhibition at Kensington Palace, opening in November 2005.

"Breathtakingly beautiful are the only words to describe Diana: Princess of Wales by Testino, a book of the best shots from her final photo session. They show her vibrant, confident and happy just weeks before her tragic death." The Sunday Post, London

"[T]he most beautiful images from that last intimate portrait sitting, showing a Diana both happy and relaxed." Majesty Magazine, London

"These select images from the book are also on exhibit at Kensington Palace...just the push some might need to pay homage to one of the world's most public, yet strangely enigmatic, celebrities of the 20th century." Business Standard, New Delhi

"[T]he book brings together the most beautiful images from this last portrait sitting, displaying Diana in a state of relaxation and intimacy unlike any other." The London Bookshop, London

"Am 31. August 1997 starb Diana Princess of Wales in Paris bei einem tragischen Autounfall. Die Welt war erschüttert. Kaum fünf Monate zuvor hat Mario Testino, einer der weltweit begehrtesten Modefotografen, Prinzessin Di für Vanity Fair fotografiert. TASCHEN zeigt nun die schönsten Porträts dieses letzten Fotoshootings und gewährt einen intimen Blick auf eine gelöste und entspannte Diana. Diese Sammlung von ca. 70 Fotografien umfasst zahlreiche bislang unbekannte Bilder, einige bereits veröffentlichte Porträts und die Geschichte hinter der Fotosession. Die Kapitel sind angeordnet nach den unterschiedlichen Kleidern, die die Prinzessin trägt, und im Anhang finden sich hierzu umfangreiche Informationen. Ab November 2005 sind einige der Kleider anlässlich einer Ausstellung im Londoner Kensington Palace, dem ehemaligen Wohnsitz der Prinzessin, zu sehen; diese sind im Buch gesondert markiert. Weiterhin beinhaltet TASCHENs Diana - Princess of Wales ein Interview mit Mario Testino, einen Beitrag von Vogue-Herausgeber Hamish Bowles und ein Vorwort von Meridith Etherington-Smith, die eine wichtige Rolle beim Zustandekommen des Shootings spielte. Herausgeber ist Patrick Kinmouth, Mitarbeiter und Freund von Testino."

Peruvian-born Mario Testino is currently based in London, though he travels extensively shooting for Vanity Fair, American, British, French and Italian Vogue and GQ. Other clients include Estee Lauder, Burberry & Versace. Galleries around the globe from Japan to Italy to the USA have featured his solo exhibitions and his work is held in collections of many institutions worldwide, including the National Portrait Gallery in London, V&A Museum in London and New York University. Mario is an Honorary Doctor of the University of the Arts London and has recently received the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award for his outstanding contribution to the world of fashion and entertainment.