For Wade, the photographs reflected a much broader social convention rather than simply an unusual quirk of royal portraiture.
“One of the most unbreakable rules of mating involves height. He must be taller than her, preferably significantly taller,” Wade explained.
This effort to make Charles appear taller is a social commitment to the idea that men are taller and women shorter. When our own bodies, and our chosen mates, don’t follow this rule, sometimes we’ll go to great lengths to preserve the illusion,” she continued.
Mystery solved
The contrast becomes particularly interesting when compared with photographs of the next generation
Prince William stands around 6 feet 3 inches tall, while Catherine, Princess of Wales, is approximately 5 feet 9 inches, giving the couple a genuine height difference. Yet depending on their shoes, positioning and pose, photographs can sometimes make that gap appear considerably smaller.
It’s a reminder of just how deceptive a photograph can be, which brings the mystery surrounding Charles and Diana’s apparent height difference back to where it started – that famous image from Balmoral.
