A controversial Princess Diana Documentary has set tongues wagging as the world prepares to commemorate the anniversary of her death.
Pictures: National Geographic
In 1991, Diana, the then Princess of Wales, participated in a series of secret interviews, recorded with her permission by a close friend on behalf of journalist Andrew Morton.
Diana: In Her Own Words, which is set to air locally on 13 August, weaves archival footage and photography with these rarely heard recordings.
“We broke down the major moments of her life and arranged them chronologically, then illustrated them with media reports and archival images from that time,” says Tom Jennings, executive producer of Diana: In Her Own Words.
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“So throughout the entire film, you’re hearing the internal workings of Princess Diana’s mind at a time when everyone believed she was living a fairy tale. But her marriage and her life actually were falling apart.”
While parts of these recordings were shown in America, this will be the first time they will be broadcast in the UK and beyond.
According to The Guardian website, one of Diana’s closest friends, Rosa Monckton, has begged the UK’s Channel 4 not to air Diana: In Her Own Words.
According to Rosa, the tapes were made as part of “therapy” sessions with a voice coach and should be spared from public scrutiny.
The website also states that Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, has also tried to stop the documentary from hitting TV screens on 6 August in the UK as it would upset her sons.
*Diana: In Her Own Words will premiere on National Geographic on 13 August at 8:05pm.
