Princess Diana's photographer Patrick Demarchelier dies at 78

Patrick Demarchelier has died at the age of 78.

The French fashion photographer - who worked with legends such as Princess Diana and Madonna - passed away on Thursday (31.03.22), his team announced on Instagram.

The statement read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Patrick Demarchelier on March 31st 2022, at the age of 78."

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No cause of death was given but the statement went on to claim that Patrick is survived by his wife, their three sons as well as three grandchildren.

The statement read: "He is survived by his wife Mia, his three sons Gustaf, Arthur, Victor and three grandchildren."

The legendary fashion photographer had created advertising campaigns for the likes of brands such as Chanel, Target, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Revlon, Lancôme, Gap, and Louis Vuitton but it was one of his covers for Vogue in 1989 that led to him being recruited by Diana, Princess of Wales as the first non-British photographer for the royal family.

The tragic royal - who was married to Prince Charles until 1996 and died the following year in a car crash in Paris - commissioned Patrick to photograph herself and her sons Princes William and Harry back in 1990 and the pair later worked together on a number of occasions.

Speaking about working with Diana, he said: "I remember when she first contacted me, that was in 1989. I had done a picture for British Vogue in which a model was opening her coat to show a picture of a little, laughing boy tucked into the inside pocket. The boy was in fact my son, and Diana, maybe because of her little boys, loved that picture so much that she got in touch.

Diana didn’t pose like a model, and I had to work at getting her to relax. But I knew what I wanted because I had seen paparazzi pictures of her laughing, and that was when she was at her prettiest. Diana was funny and kind but fundamentally she was a very simple woman who liked very simple things. I never touched my pictures of her where she looked both in control and sweetly vulnerable, with plenty of her typical coyness."