William’s mum cut a lonely figure as she sat on the same spot in 1992, shortly before the break-up of her marriage to the Prince of Wales.
Prince William and Catherine posed at the famous tomb in Agra on the final day of their tour of India and Bhutan.
The couple were visiting the Taj Mahal – where guides make a point of pointing out ‘Diana’s bench’ to all tourists – after flying back to India from Bhutan.
“The Duke of Cambridge is of course aware of the huge esteem his mother, the late Princess of Wales, is held in in India and he appreciates the status of the images that exist of the Princess at the Taj, says William’s communications secretary Jason Knauf.
“He feels incredibly lucky to visit a place where his mother’s memory is kept alive by so many who travel there.
“Twenty-four years on from her visit to the Taj, the duke and the duchess are looking forward to seeing this beautiful place for themselves and creating some new memories as they say thank you to the people of India at the conclusion of this tour.”
But a Kensington Palace spokesman later rowed back from attaching any special significance to the photocall’s location, saying: “They made the decision because it is what all visitors to the Taj Mahal do – they sit on the bench with the perfect symmetry of the building behind them.
“Like everyone visiting this magical and beautiful place, they want to have a unique experience to remember forever.”
Taj Mahal tour guide Rizwan Mohammed, 35, tells the BBC that he thought their visit was the “perfect thing to do” before their fifth wedding anniversary on April 29.
He says they were fascinated by the story behind the building, of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his late, favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child.
“(Catherine) said she (Mumtaz) really deserved this kind of building as they were madly in love with each other – the prince was laughing.
“They were down to earth, very casual. I was quite nervous but they were very normal. She was asking about the inscriptions and what they mean.”
The royal couple did not mention William’s mother Diana but the guide told them “she was beloved so much in the whole of India”.
To see pictures of William and Kate on safari in India, click here.
