In Hyderabad in 1992, a meeting between Diana and a four-year-old girl turned into a lifetime memory for the little guest.
The photo seems to capture a moment from a busy day for the future queen: sitting on her knees and dressed in a dancing costume, Avanti Reddy looks like a character from a children’s book. However, the reason this picture remains popular online and in newspapers is the short episode that serves as its background. On February 14, 1992, during a visit to Lalapet Government High School in Hyderabad, the princess met four-year-old Avanti Reddy, one of the children who performed a traditional Lambadi dance for her. The little girl and her playmates were well-prepared for the visit as they practised dance moves from the Lambadi tribe, also known as the Banjara community. Their bright costumes, jewellery, and special dances attracted tourists, but dancing in front of a future queen was a unique and precious experience for Avanti. She could not imagine that this meeting would turn into a media sensation and that one day she would tell her story to newspapers.
The meeting began when Diana saw Avanti sitting on the floor, but she did not leave the little guest alone for long. Surprisingly, the princess picked the child up and carried her to the stage, settling on the floor with her. Diana asked the little dancer about her name and school, and Avanti explained that she had a runny nose due to a cold, but there was nothing surprising about it. The princess took a handkerchief and gently cleaned the girl’s nose, speaking a few words in response.
However, this was not all that happened in the short conversation. From the interview, Diana told Avanti she would not have left, as she did not have a daughter, and, therefore, Avanti could be her daughter for that day. The princess had two sons, William and Harry, and she simply wanted to comfort the child at the end of the lovely meeting. As Avanti described the story years later, she felt so precious when the princess said these words and took special care at the end of the formal visit. Years later, Avanti Reddy mentioned that she was surprised by the princess’s kind words and attention to her needs.
The photo of this episode is stored in the Getty Images database under the caption “Lalapet High School, Hyderabad, India. 14th February 1992.” The picture shows the princess and the little girl after the dance, but it does not reflect the full meaning of the meeting. People who want to know more about the story can rely only on the letters and reports from witnesses who describe the events of February 14, 1992. This is the reason why Avanti’s recollections from the interview are so valuable to scientists and ordinary people who want to learn more about the beloved princess. At the time of the meeting, the future queen did not expect much from this episode, and Avanti could not imagine that one day she would tell her story to millions of followers. As time went by, the girl grew up, and she described the princess as a caring person who paid special attention to children and poverty.
The memory of the princess became part of Avanti’s life, and she even mentioned that her family kept a signed picture sent by Diana. Her words suggest that the visit was significant not only because of the princess’s fame but also because she genuinely cared about children and the future of her country. In her interview, Avanti recalled how often her family showed the picture to visitors and how happy they were to have met a remarkable person like Diana. However, the story did not end there, as fate decided that the two could meet again.
Unfortunately for Avanti, this time fate was not kind. According to the interview, she travelled to Europe with her dance group in 1997 to perform for schools in Belgium. The visit was supposed to be a chance to meet Diana again, but the princess died in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. At the time, Avanti was in Europe, and she shared the sad news in her interview. The episode with Diana was very important to Avanti as it marked an end – the end of hopes to see a beloved princess and continue supporting her charitable work.
When it comes to the story of Avanti and Diana, their meeting in Hyderabad is only one episode in a larger narrative. The princess was a prominent public figure whose personal life and work continue to be a subject of interest and research. Her meetings with children and ordinary people became part of the official narrative about her, but different aspects of her life can be viewed through the prism of one encounter. While the official bio of Diana does not mention Avanti’s name, the girl keeps telling the story from her side. By doing this, she completes her part of the interaction, as she was the one to receive attention and support from the princess. It is hard to say whether Avanti understood the significance of this meeting when it happened, but the fact that it made such a deep impression on her life is undeniable. The story of the princess who puts effort into meeting children and ordinary people lives through these meetings.
It is enough to look at the photo to realise that there is much to be told about the beloved Diana. Perhaps it took more than ten years for Avanti to describe her feelings and thoughts, but she still did it. Her story has become famous, and, to this day, the picture of the princess and the little girl in Hyderabad continues to remind the world of a woman who genuinely cares. The episode is so touching because it shows the other side of a public figure – the side that faces everyday worries and emotions like an ordinary person. By picking up a handkerchief and wiping Avanti’s nose, Diana showed compassion and support and made a little girl feel like a princess. The short moment from February 14, 1992, has become part of the history of Hyderabad and the lives of many people. More than thirty years later, the picture and the story behind it remind visitors of the warm and sincere side of the beloved princess.
References:
- Getty Images, “Diana, Princess of Wales with young Avanti Reddy sitting on her lap,” Hyderabad, 14 February 1992. https://www.gettyimages.com.au
- The Daily Star, “The Indian girl who Diana called ‘my daughter’,” reporting Avanti Reddy’s recollections (2017). https://www.thedailystar.net
- Female First, “The late Princess Diana hailed as a ‘very motherly figure’,” 15 August 2017. https://www.femalefirst.co.uk
- The Times of India, “Who is Avanti, the Indian girl whom Princess Diana called ‘my daughter’,” 7 January 2026. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com