In 1991, inside London's Kensington Palace, Diana, Princess of Wales, participated in a series of secret interviews, recorded with her permission by a close friend on behalf of journalist Andrew Morton. Morton was writing a book about Diana's life to reveal what life was really like for the most photographed woman in world. The public was unaware that Diana, Princess of Wales', marriage to HRH Prince of Wales was at crisis point. National Geographic Documentary Films reveals Diana's thoughts and feelings at a very specific point in her life, presenting one side of a very complicated story... her side. Told entirely in the Princess' voice, with no interviews, most of these unique recordings have never been broadcast before.
DIANA: IN HER OWN WORDS weaves archival footage and photography with these rarely heard recordings and is the latest presentation under the National Geographic Documentary Films banner. DIANA: IN HER OWN WORDS premieres Monday, August 14, at 9/8c on National Geographic. Watch a trailer below:
Executive produced by acclaimed Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Tom Jennings of 1895 Films (Challenger Disaster: Lost Tapes; MLK: The Assassination Tapes), the new documentary shines fresh perspective on the Princess' emotional journey from childhood to her relationship with HRH Prince of Wales and her pervasive public life under the microscope.
"National Geographic Documentary Films is committed to bringing the world premium feature documentaries that cover timely, provocative and globally relevant stories from the very best documentary filmmakers in the world," said Tim Pastore, President, Original Programming and Production for National Geographic. "This film is no exception as it provides fresh perspective and insight into Diana, Princess of Wales', side of the story and continues our long tradition of providing our audiences unprecedented access to significant events."
She came to be known as the People's Princess, and few public figures remain as beloved and enigmatic as Diana, Princess of Wales. From the moment the shy kindergarten teacher whose innate charm caught the attention of the heir to the royal throne, a modern icon was born.
In vivid detail, Princess Diana reflects upon the full story of her life, depicting her circumstances in 1991. She candidly takes viewers from her unhappy childhood to her awkward introduction to HRH Prince of Wales when she was just 16 years old, and the dramatic tale of a young girl thrust upon the world's stage. Hounded by the press and embraced by a nation captivated by the 'fairy-tale' romance, she was completely unprepared for the fame that engulfed her.
DIANA: IN HER OWN WORDS captures a split in the Princess' public and private personas, underscoring intense often convoluted descriptions of her thoughts and feelings in 1991. Unflinchingly, she recounts her emotional wedding day and her experiences with postpartum depression, bulimia and her eventual triumph over her crippling anxiety to emerge as global humanitarian -- the iconic, beloved People's Princess.
"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," added Tom Jennings, executive producer of DIANA: IN HER OWN WORDS. "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."
A National Geographic book, Remembering Diana: A Life in Photographs will also be available August 1 with special foreword by friend, confidante and New York Times bestselling Princess Diana biographer, Tina Brown (The Diana Chronicles). The book is filled with more than 100 iconic images and features reflections from those who knew her best.
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