It is hard to come across any other individual in the history of time who has been as universally loved as Diana, Princess of Wales. Her charming influence, along with the sheer curiosity roused in people surrounding her life and its untimely end, is extraordinary. Although it has been more than two decades since her ill-fated demise, Diana Spencer's life continues to grab attention and headlines. So much so that countless movies, shows and documentaries have been made to tell her incredible tale.
The trailer of Pablo Larraín’s Spencer starring Kristen Stewart has been making the rounds on the Internet. Here’s a list of movies you can turn to for your princess Diana fix.
1. The Story of Diana
The two-part ABC documentary explores the life and private struggles of Princess Diana. It rewinds to some of the most unfortunate and agonising events in the life of the Princess, narrated to us through interviews of experts, journalists, historians, and relatives, including her brother Charles Spencer, along with archival records. The documentary is divided into two episodes of 83-minutes each and is available to stream on Netflix.
2. Diana
Based on Kate Snell's 2001 book, Diana: Her Last Love, the film is a biographical account of the last two years of Princess Diana’s life. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, the film stars Noami Watts in the titular role of Diana. The film follows the Princess' life after her divorce from Charles, the Prince of Wales, when she was said to be dating Dr Hasnat Khan of Pakistani descent, and later, Dodi Al Fayed, an Egyptian national. Unfortunately, as we all know, Dodi and her meet with a tragic car accident. The film can be streamed on Netflix.
3. The Queen
Directed by Stephen Frears, and written by Peter Morgan, creator of The Crown, The Queen is an Academy Award winning film that lays emphasis on the perspective of Queen Elizabeth (played by Helen Mirren), telling the story of how she handled a series of crises and regained faith of her people after the unfortunate demise of Princess Diana. The Queen can be watched on Netflix.
4. Diana: In Her Own Words
Filmmaker Tom Jennings' National Geographic documentary, Diana: In Her Own Words is adapted from the interviews conducted by journalist Andrew Morton in his book, Diana: Her True Story. The book had stirred a fair amount of controversy. The Princess collaborated with Morton, providing him with a series of interviews in 1991. The film features audio clips from these interviews and captures the relationship between Diana and Prince Charles before their separation. The documentary is available on Netflix and Disney+Hotstar.
5. Unlawful Killing
Directed by Keith Allen, Unlawful Killing is a British documentary revolving around the tragic car accident in Paris that caused the deaths of Princess Diana and her partner Dodi Al Fayed. It delves into the many controversies surrounding her death which included the names of Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret. The film was funded by Fayed's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, and was screened at Cannes in 2011. However, it was not a part of the official festival.
6. Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy
The 2017 HBO documentary film was a result of Prince William and Prince Harry coming together to mark the 20th death anniversary of their mother. It offers a perspective of the two Princes, growing up with her, and losing her in their adolescence. The film is directed by Ashley Gething and features several interviews of Prince William and Prince Harry opening up about their mother and her magnanimity.
7. Diana, 7 Days That Shook the Windsors
The documentary follows the aftermath of the death of the Princess of Wales, and how the nation had nearly lost trust in the British Royal Family. The film tried to capture how the entire country processed the grief of their beloved Princess. Directed by Ben Ryder, the film does not shy away from discussing the minute details about how the royal family disregarded tradition and formalities to honour the life of Princess Diana.
8. Diana and I
Diana and I is a 2017 film directed by Peter Cattaneo, that shows the extent of the effect of the death of Princess Diana on ordinary people and their lives. In the week following her unfortunate demise, the film unfolds four separate stories of common people processing the loss of their Princess. The film truly captures the impact Diana had on her people.
9. Princess Diana: The Quiet Revolution
The 2017 documentary directed by Jordan Hill tries to cover several aspects of the life of Princess Diana and keep alive her legacy in the hearts of the people. It captures the winds of change she brought with herself with her compassion, charm, and influence. For the Indian audience, the documentary is available on MX Player.
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