A New Princess Diana Documentary Tells Her Story Like Never Been Told Before

The Princess is a brand-new documentary from Sky that takes a closer look at the life and death of Diana, Princess of Wales. For the first time, Princess Diana’s story will be told using just audio and video footage filmed over the course of her short life. In a statement, Sky have said that this unique approach is intended to “take audiences back to these era-defining events as they happened, and in doing so, allows the narrative to unfold as if it were in the present.”

The Princess's relationship with the British media has been the topic of much discussion, especially in the last few years with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s “step back” from the Royal Family due to the intensity of press attention. In fact, Prince Harry specifically cited the media as a causal factor in the death of his mother, writing “I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.” in an official statement back in October 2019.

Here’s everything we know so far about the ground-breaking new documentary.

Who’s In The Cast Of The Princess

As the documentary is totally compiled from audio and video footage from Princess Diana’s life, there is no “cast” as such. The film is directed by Academy Award-nominated Ed Perkins, and produced by Simon Chinn who has also been nominated for two Academy Awards. The documentary will feature Princess Diana, of course, as well as Princes William and Harry, and many other familiar faces from royal circles.

What’s The Plot Of The Princess

The film follows Princess Diana’s life and death, so it’s a narrative that many will already be familiar with. But, looking at it through a different lens will bring a fresh, more complex take on events.

“We felt it was really important to only make another documentary [on Diana] if we thought we had something new to say or a new perspective to offer up,” director Ed Perkins told RadioTimes. “I felt that, for our film, the more interesting thing about Diana’s story was not necessarily what it said about her, but actually what it says about all of us.”

Perkins hopes that the documentary’s “archive-only approach sort of allows us to take you back in time – almost like a time machine or time capsule” so the film can “ask some complex but important questions” to the public’s relationship with Diana, and “more broadly our relationship to monarchy, and our relationship to celebrity and celebrity culture.”

For Perkins, the most important goal of The Princess is simply to ask “what was our role in this story? What was our complicity, for want of a better word, in this tragic tale?”

Where Can I Watch The Princess In The UK?

The documentary first aired on August 14 on Sky Documentaries and is now available on NOW TV in the UK.

Is There An Official Trailer For The Princess?

Yes. Sky shared a first look trailer to their Youtube Channel earlier this year, which you can watch below.

This was followed by a second trailer on July 27 which charts the downfall of Diana and Charles’ marriage and the intensity of the press and public attention on the Princess. Watch it below.