Princess Diana’s popularity continues to today
A variety of television programs, books will honor her on 20th anniversary of her death
Two decades after her death, Princess Diana’s charisma endures.
Diana was 36 when she died after the car she was riding in crashed in a Paris tunnel on Aug. 31, 1997. But before her death — and after splitting with Prince Charles — she was still turning heads and attracting headlines. So it comes as no surprise that on the 20th anniversary, everyone is finding a way to remember her.
Publishers are bringing out new books about her, or re-issuing old ones, and the calendar of special programming on television is filling up.
Here are a few upcoming commemorations of the celebrity princess:
TV
Monday : “Princess Diana: Tragedy or Treason?” (TLC, 8 p.m.)
Diana biographer Andrew Morton is just one of the figures interviewed in this three-hour special that looks at the conspiracy theories surrounding the fatal car crash in Paris. Actor and conspiracy theorist Richard Belzer discusses the speculation about what happened the night Diana died.
Aug. 9-10: “The Story of Diana” (ABC, 9 p.m.)
ABC and People magazine team for this two-night special featuring what’s billed as an exclusive U.S. interview with Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother Charles. He will share stories about his older sister with home-movie footage. Virgin Group CEO Richard Branson is among friends of Diana appearing in the special.
Aug. 22: “Diana — Her Story” (PBS, 7 p.m.)
PBS says this new documentary offers historical context as it tells the story of Diana’s life through interviews with individuals who were close to the princess, including confidant James Colthurst, ballet teacher Anne Allan, private secretary Patrick Jephson and bodyguard Ken Wharfe. The documentary reveals a naive teen who eventually transformed into one of the most popular members of the royal family.
Aug. 27: “Diana and the Paparazzi” (Smithsonian, 7 p.m.) and “Diana: The Day We Said Goodbye” (Smithsonian, 8 p.m.)
At 7, viewers get a look through the lens at the princess and her attempts to manage the constant mob of photographers who followed her everywhere, contrasted with her desire to draw interest to the humanitarian causes that she felt were important. This special includes interviews with paparazzi who were present during her fatal car crash.
At 9, another special puts the spotlight on the funeral for the princess. Narrated by Kate Winslet, “Diana: The Day We Said Goodbye” includes the voices of guardsmen, reporters, pallbearers and others who share their experiences on that day, when London shut down, millions filled the streets and the U.K. mourned at a royal funeral service at Westminster Abbey.
A sampling of Diana books
“Remembering Diana: A Life in Photographs”: This sumptuous picture book of more than 100 images of Diana, due Tuesday, comes from National Geographic with a forward by Tina Brown, her friend, biographer and the former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker.
“Shadows of a Princess” by Patrick Jephson. This 2000 best seller was reissued by HarperCollins last week with a new introduction. Jephson was Diana’s private secretary — her closest aide — during her years of deepest personal crisis. His description of what he saw and heard is said to be the most authoritative and balanced account of the royal life of a famously tragic royal.
“Diana: The People’s Princess: A Celebration of Her Life and Legacy 20 Years On,” by Nicholas Owen. First published in 1997, this updated edition from U.K. publisher Carlton Shing G is a tribute biography that includes new material about Diana’s legacy as a mother, as her sons continue her humanitarian work.