Princess Diana's final holiday, aboard the Jonikal yacht with the al-Fayed family in St Tropez, produced one of the most poignant images of the late royal: Diana sitting on the diving board in a teal swimsuit. The holiday, which also included her sons Prince William and Prince Harry, took place in July 1997, just weeks before her tragic death.
Diana had become friends with businessman Mohamed al-Fayed after meeting at a polo match. Following her divorce from Prince Charles and the end of her relationship with Dr Hasnat Khan, Mohamed invited her to join his family on the trip. Before arriving in St Tropez, Diana had attended the funeral of Gianni Versace in Milan and travelled to Sarajevo to highlight landmine issues.
The trip marked Diana's first meeting with Dodi al-Fayed, whose then-girlfriend Kelly Fisher was allegedly also present. On 10 August, paparazzi photos of Diana and Dodi kissing were published, intensifying media interest. Photographers rented dinghies to capture images, with some offers reaching £1 million.
The iconic diving board photo, published on 24 August, was taken by an unknown photographer. It shows Diana in her teal swimsuit, with a life ring below. Diana was aware of the media presence and light-heartedly mimicked binoculars in another image. She also brought a green and blue one-piece swimsuit and was seen doing morning stretches on deck.
Diana and Dodi grew close during the trip, and the photo captures an intimate moment as they relaxed together. The holiday remains a bittersweet memory of the princess's final days.
