The more photographs people compare, the stranger the difference can appear.

In one image, Diana may seem only slightly shorter.

In another, Charles appears to tower over her.

Then another photograph seems to reverse the visual impression, bringing them almost level.

Of course, photographs don’t provide a perfect measurement of someone’s actual height.

Positioning, posture, footwear, perspective, camera angle, and whether one person is standing on a higher surface can dramatically change how height is perceived.

And in the case of Charles and Diana, there is an especially interesting detail that becomes apparent when photographs from the same setting are examined more carefully.

Was Diana Actually Shorter in the Balmoral Photograph?

The answer may be much simpler than the photograph initially suggests.

Diana was sitting on a bench.

That easily overlooked detail changes the entire composition.

Charles is standing while Diana is positioned lower, which naturally creates the dramatic impression that he is much taller.