Diana Princess of Wales: a Celebration of a Life (2012)

• 56%
• 2012
• Documentary
• Alan Byron

From the moment of her engagement to Prince Charles in 1981 until her untimely death in a car accident in 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, was arguably the most famous woman in the world. Diana was an enigma: the most pre-eminent female celebrity of her generation, a fashion icon, an image of feminine beauty, but also a high-profile campaigner on AIDS issues and a committed opponent of landmines. During her lifetime, she was the most photographed person in the world, quickly becoming an iconic presence on the world stage. But although Diana, Princess of Wales, was noted for her pioneering charity work, her endeavours were sometimes overshadowed by her tempestuous and controversial marriage to Prince Charles. Her death in Paris on August 31st 1997 was one of the most shocking events of the 20th Century. To her admirers, the Princess of Wales was a role model; and after her death some called for her to be nominated for sainthood. But her detractors saw her short life in the goldfish bowl of the world's media as a cautionary tale of how an obsession with publicity can ultimately destroy an individual. On the fifteenth anniversary of her death, this new feature programme celebrates the life of Diana, Princess of Wales and draws upon previously unseen archive and new insights since her death to piece together a portrait of the most iconic woman of the twentieth century. With personal and insightful contributions from royal biographers and correspondents, Princess Diana: A Celebration is a timely retrospective of a unique woman and her impact on the world.