Princess Diana
Documentaries and films on TV
The “Queen of Hearts” Princess Diana died in Paris in 1997.
© NDR/Kent Gavin
Princess Diana died in a car accident in 1997. On the 25th anniversary of her death, TV stations look back on her eventful life in numerous documentaries.
August 31, 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s (1961-1997) death. The Queen of Hearts died in a tragic car accident in Paris. Television stations honor the first wife of the British heir to the throne Prince Charles (73) with numerous documentaries and films.
The first
The first shows “The Princess” on August 24 (10:50 p.m.), the first cinema documentary about the life of the Princess of Wales. Director Ed Perkins gives viewers a new perspective on Diana’s life, first as a lady and later as a princess, her legacy and her tragic death. He only used archive material that offers a very personal approach to what is probably the most photographed person of all time. “The Princess” was produced by Oscar winners Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn and was created in collaboration with HBO, Sky, NDR, rbb and BR.
Sat 1
On August 30 (8:15 p.m.) Sat.1 will show the documentary “The Diana Era – Faces of a Princess”. She also looks at Lady Diana Spencer, her life and her legacy. Companions like Lady Diana’s butler, Paul Burrell, confidants like her bodyguard and royal experts like Patricia Riekel have their say. From 10:20 p.m. the broadcaster also shows the biopic “Diana” with Naomi Watts (53) in the leading role. The film, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (64), focuses on the last two years of the mother of Prince William (40) and Prince Harry (37). It’s all about the love for two men: heart surgeon Hasnat Khan and entrepreneur Dodi Al-Fayed. The former British Crown Princess died in a traffic accident with Al-Fayed on August 31, 1997.
RTL
On August 30 at 8:15 p.m., RTL asked the question in a documentary: “The battle of the princesses: who cracks the Diana code?” Princess Diana’s daughters-in-law, Duchess Meghan (41) and Duchess Kate (40), are examined in more detail and the stories of these three extraordinary women are compared. Exclusive RTL interviews with family members and closest confidants are used. From 10:35 p.m., the new edition of “The Truth About Our Royal Houses – Insiders Unpack” takes a closer look at the life of the royal family.
On the day of death itself (August 31), RTL from 10 a.m. is all about Diana’s life. It starts with the report “Diana – Her Last Summer”, followed by the three documentaries “The 1970s: Starting a New Life” (11 a.m.), “The 1980s: Queen of the Headlines” (3 p.m.) and “The 1990s : Queen of Hearts” (4 p.m.). At night, RTL shows more reports about Lady Di, such as “Princess Diana: Exclusive interviews about death and truth!” (3:15 p.m.) and “Prince Charles – For Wales, the Crown and the Perpetual Inheritance” (4:15 p.m.).
Phoenix
phoenix will show the two-part documentary “Diana’s Death – Seven Days That Moved the World” on August 31 (8:15 p.m.). In the two parts “Kingdom in Shock” (8:15 p.m.) and “Monarchy in Danger” (9 p.m.), numerous interviews with royal family members, close friends, politicians and journalists are shown. Prince William and Prince Harry speak very personally about their relationship with their mother. The documentary looks at the events of the turbulent week after Diana’s accidental death in Paris.
ZDF
On August 2, ZDF already showed the ZDFzeit docu-fiction “Diana’s last night: love, life, legend”, which can still be found in the ZDFmediathek. The film by Annika Blendl, Ulrike Grunewald and Leonie Stade begins with the arrival of Diana (Mareile Blendl, 46) and Dodi Al-Fayed (Patrick Pinheiro, 45) in Paris and describes the last hours of the couple and their companions. What circumstances and short-term changes in plans led to the tragic chain of events in Paris? The investigation report of the accident was implemented in game scenes and combined with archive material and eyewitness interviews.