User reviews

Greetings again from the darkness. It's been 25 years since the paparazzi chased the car into that Paris tunnel. The ensuing accident took the lives of Princess Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul. The tragic and stunning event led to global grieving for a Princess who many felt never was accepted as a member of the Royal Family. Director Ed Perkins (BLACK SHEET, 2018) uses only archival footage, stills, and news clips to show how the media covered Diana over what was less than two decades in the spotlight. No new interviews - the talking heads we are accustomed to in documentaries - are included here, only the editing of existing media materials are offered as storytelling devices.

The film opens with a tourist-shot video taken just moments before the fatal accident. What stands out is the crush of photographers, the squealing tires takeoff of Diana's car, and the swift action of paparazzi following on scooters and cycles. It's not until the end of the film that we see the footage of the wreckage being towed from the tunnel. The rest of the film tracks Diana over the years ... less than 20 years total.

The flashback takes us to Diana Spencer as a 19-year-old girlfriend of Prince Charles. As the press hound her on the walk to her car, we note her coy and shy demeanor as she offers "no comment" before driving herself away. The strain on her face as she's being questioned is evident, and remains through those early shared interviews with Charles. It's not until years later when she becomes so adept at handling the media frenzy.

Throughout the film we see clips of Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Sarah Ferguson, and Diana's interactions with such notables as Henry Kissinger, Mother Teresa, John Travolta, Luciano Pavarotti, and Nelson Mandela. We watch as Diana's hairstyles make their way around the globe, and of course, the wedding segment recalls how it became 'the' television event of 1981. There are segments on two babies (William and Harry), and we even see Diana holding Harry in her lap as the car drives away ... and Charles heads to his polo match.

The 12-year age gap is discussed, but Diana's surprising BBC interview with Martin Bashear provided the more likely reason for the 1992 separation. Camilla Parker-Bowles is shown while still married, but a Charles interview (along with Diana's BBC interview) make it clear that the Diana marriage was meant to deliver 'pure' bloodlines to the Royal Family, and the "Fred and Gladys" (Charles and Camilla) relationship couldn't do that. We can't help but notice how much sadness Diana carried, and she certainly had her own detractors and critics, especially when biographers noted her own affair. It was this era that turned the Royals into their own entertainment industry - something which is disturbingly even more true today. Diana died at only 36 years of age. Both of her sons are older than that now. The global grief experienced is on full display during the segments highlighting her funeral. Perkins' film might be a bit difficult for anyone who wasn't around during the Diana era, but for those of us who were, the memories have not faded, and are enhanced by what we see here.

Available on HBO and HBO Max beginning August 13, 2022.

This masterfully crafted documentary takes the viewer along the entire arc of the Charles-and-Diana saga. It is edited entirely from contemporaneous archival footage, some well known, some perhaps never seen since. Because the only voices are those of the principals or of the commentators of the era, there is no supercilious voice-over, which often amounts to little more than self-important distraction. You don't need to know all the details to follow along. The result conveys an immediacy that belies the decades since the events. One of the cringiest moments is the excerpt from the BBC interview with now discredited newscaster Martin Bashir, now that we know the lies and forgeries he used fraudulently to secure that interview. Additionally, in my opinion, Charles comes across very poorly: in his own words, he reveals himself as cold, callous, insecure, and none too bright. Finally, the ruthlessness of paparazzi is well in evidence. That said, there is no overly emotional angle in favor of, or against, Diana or any other subject, leaving viewers to make up their own minds. A brilliant documentary.

Solid documentary that doesn't shy away from all of the opinions about Diana and the monarchy. No narrator or interviews, instead just a collection of interesting news clips and found footage that helps portray her life. Well edited, engaging, and interesting. I was 13 when she died, and this film helped me to understand why everyone was so devastated by the loss. Good companion piece to 'the crown' and 'the queen'.

This documentary tells, at a pace, the story of Princess Diana through media coverage.

Many phases of Diana's relationship with the media, eg the Bashir interview, are worth a documentary in their own right.

The commentary is unspoken through the editing and music score. It doesn't tell those who lived through the 80s and 90s anything new and it certainly won't be last work on Diana's life.

There has been a lot of work selecting a vast range of archive footage, primarily from the UK and the US, with many hitherto unseen finds.

Most, if not all, of the original source material was shot in 4:3. I question the decision to crop and zoom all of this for widescreen, with a consequent degradation in picture quality. It would have been better to have preserved the original 4:3 aspect ratio.

On the Bashir interview, these are the only clips credited to the source on screen during the documentary. I understand this is because the BBC didn't give clearance for their use (the BBC has actually banned it from being licensed or repeated) and the documentary makers are claiming fair dealing on its use.

I've watched every documentary out there about Princess Diana. This is the most unbiased, objective and straightforward one to date. It provides a thorough and concise background as well as context into the individuals and relationships. For later generations that never saw Diana while she was alive, this provides a good foundation. What sets this documentary apart from most are the never before seen videos and footage.

I love documentaries more when they include archival materials such as videos and documents. This documentary is full of videos from the early 1980s to 1997 covering the time Diana passed from Prince Charles's girlfriend to her death. However, the film does not offer a timeline, a context, or an interview that helps situate the viewer in the images they are watching. For those who lived through those times, it is not challenging to situate themselves in the time situations shown in the archive videos happen. But anyone who did not live during those years can feel lost in the film. It feels like the people behind the film had to access all that video material and focus mainly on the editing part forgetting about the viewers. It could be done much better.

Premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in the Premieres Selection.

This documentary is about Princess Diana's story that is told exclusively through contemporaneous archive creating a bold and immersive narrative of her life and death. It also illuminates how the public's attitude to the monarchy was, and still is. This documentary is truly an emotional experience that goes in-depth about the life of Princess Diana's career and it does a great job on handling it's source material without being biased.

Director Ed Perkins managed to make a documentary that feels engaging, emotional, thought-provoking and well documented that you get a sense of reality and story about Princess Diana and everything that has been surrounding her. The soundtrack fits perfectly to the scenes being filmed, good editing, great sound design and the archive footage is well used and looks beautiful to look at. Restoration footages are always a treat to see as it helps to give you a good out look of what the past looked like. It's truly an experience to watch.

Diana has already been a big subject for years and knowing about her life and having down research about her problems and situations did make me feel emotional about it. Perkins did a fantastic job on documenting the film and I regret not seeing it when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival right away.

A great mix of drama, realism and sometimes true horror.

Rating: A-

I watched this only because of the recent death of the queen of England. I was very young when princess Diana cam into the spotlight and all I could remember of her and an adolescent and young adult was her philanthropy and kindness. To me that says it all. I don't believe in the monarchy one bit. I do believe in respecting individuals that leave a positive mark in the world and that is what the princess did. There is no dispute in that. This documentary left me with like the title of my review says my jaw dropped in many instances. Many times I thought to myself of how "cringy" to use a modern term the kids use these days so many things that were done , said and thought of this person for no other reason than for being. Of course no one is perfect and princess Diana certainly was not but she definitely did not deserve a lot of the negative things that were done to her by that family. This documentary showed a lot of that in such a different and interesting way. Very well done in my opinion.

You hear quotes constantly from people with no reference.

The whole production feels cold.

Nothing new here.

There's stories we've heard before. And while some new footage much is already shown before.

As soon as I saw this had premiered at Sundance, I suspected it would be worth the watch. Why? Because unlike the glut of so-called documentaries about this ill-fated yet fascinating woman--with their dubious research, endless speculation, and onslaught of unverified opinions--this extremely well-made film doesn't tell you what the producers are pretty sure must have happened during Diana's life using a bunch of crap from the public archives that everyone's already seen a zillion times. Instead, it shows you exactly what went on through the use of historical footage and audio--most of which (as a Yank) I've never before seen or heard before. It's meticulously edited to chronologically follow the facts. By doing this, the story becomes so engrossing that there were times I felt swept up in the saga as if I was there and experiencing everything for the first time. That's good filmmaking imho. Totally worth the time investment.

It's such an irony to watch this documentary and not realize it only exists because of the footage that was made during Dana's life. The obsession over her every move is still baffling to me. Why chase her in the most mundane places and occasions?! She's by the pool! So what?!? But the sadness that she was used by an institution at such a young age and not approximated by the ones she was seeking validation from is evident in this well put together work. No narration but archive historical footage and audio is used to peice together a 2hr summer of a figure that has affected the history of the world.

I do wonder if she lived how she would have been treated or if this story happened now how the public would treat her. Alas reality is she's not. It's amazing one lift, trusted under pressure has resulted in a figure that might not be matched in decades and centuries to come.

To start, yes there is a lot of low quality clips and much of what you see here has been in previous documentaries, however, it's not exactly possible to improve video quality from thirty years ago so you shouldn't judge it based on today's standards, that's just stupid. As for it "being done before" it's important to note that many docs fall to the wayside over the years and become difficult to track down, so there will always be new editions for every generation so long as Diana stays relevant.

I found this to be an interesting watch. There is no narrative, at least not in a literal sense, but there is an obvious angle to the documentary. Not all the information is presented, some parts of the clips shown are deliberately edited to enhance mood or atmosphere, like painting the prince or princess in a certain light. That being said, it's surprisingly unbiased, there was a lot of uncomfortable dialogue from interviews with citizens or journalists who were for or against Princess Diana. It was quite polarized The worst was the paparazzi. This documentary solidified my assumption that the paparazzi were as bad as everyone made them out be. The way they talked about her was disgusting, like she wasn't even a human being. They harassed her to the point of breaking her spirit. If she resisted them she was called a f---ing b----, if she dared played along and smiled or engaged with them they had the audacity to call her a mediawhore. It's like victim blaming after a rape, and it is extremely uncomfortable to watch.

I was also surprised to see so many people given a platform to speak out against her and say such repulsive things. I guess the bar was set incredibly low for journalistic integrity in the UK in the 80's and 90's. Journalists were given the opportunity to voice pointless, unfounded arguments which often ended up in childish name calling (?!).

The truth was that Diana was an unusual woman. Her humanitarian efforts were commendable, she did more than any of the other Royal family were willing to do at the time. Yes her marriage was on the rocks from the outset. Interviews with Charles have spelled out the truth from the begginning. I don't think he ever truly deceived Diana, but I believe she had trouble accepting and facing the truth and thought, like many women, that she could change him. It was cruel to expect her to just face up and deal with the situation and take it in stride. Blasting her for having mental health crises was just stigmatizing mental illness and it's part and parcel to the incredibly prejudiced attitudes of the time (which sadly still persist to this day). She was not a saint and that is not why people still talk about her to this day, she was representative of a hope for a future that really we will never know.

I recommend this doc but it is difficult at times to watch.

A 2022 documentary, currently being shown on HBO MAX, about Princess Diana & her life (& eventual death) as chronicled by the media. From the initial days of her courtship w/Prince Charles to her unfortunate passing (when her vehicle was pursued by the paparazzi in a Paris tunnel where it crashed), this ticking clock of historic events is fascinating to see as the seeds of her disquiet could be glimpsed in the interviews she gave during her life w/the royals to her own extramarital dalliances toward the end of her union. Being comprehensive to a fault but viewed from the prism of an outsider (an American), one has to eventually wonder how much a public figure's life actually belongs to them or do we have a duty to mind our business in perpetuity. No easy answers are given as our world jumps from the next hot thing to another w/the clock ticking till someone else will befall the same fate.

I've seen most of this same footage in Diana Story of a Princess which is in parts on youtube and was released in 2001. The film quality is much higher and more watchable in that documentary. This new film uses low grade lousy copies of copies from that same news footage. So it left me wondering why remake something's that already available. Money of course. 25 years later she's still be exploited as a material thing. Oh the irony.

This beautiful doc is breathtaking because of its use of never before seen footage and audio of this revered figure. It is laser focused on her with only tangential footage of Camilla or other members of the Royal Family except when she is in the frame. I can't figure out if Charles ends up being despicable because he just is or if the director had an agenda to show him as a louse but either way, you won't be on Charles' side any time soon. There is even a bare chested peek at this Royal Jerk. The shots of the two sons are heartbreaking. The one shot of Hewitt, though relentlessly denied as being the bio dad of Prince Harry, makes it obvious that Harry's colouring didn't come from Charles.

Bonus plus is seeing the Queen, and even her mother, dancing at a ball. Fully dancing and moving gracefully in some sort of medieval type choreography. That was fun!

Why I didn't give it full stars is because there were many times I found the music score too loud and the main track of audio was impossible to hear. For example those infamous recordings of Charles and Camilla and again of Diana and her lover at the time. Couldn't hear. Even in the beginning, the score was way too loud over the narration. Too bad. Otherwise, a fresh glimpse into a modern day tragedy, as lovely and sad as we remember it.

Written and directed by Ed Perkins, this masterful documentary is the best one on Diana Spencer to date. It captured plenty of nuances, expressed and implied, about the life and times of this game-changing woman who came close to redefining the British monarchy.

The documentary contained enough archival footage to make it equally credible, entertaining, and educational. Aside from the Princess of Wales, it also featured essential footage of HRM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Charles.

Other notable appearances included Tony Blair, Hillary Clinton, Clint Eastwood, John Travolta (who famously danced with her), Luciano Pavarotti, Nelson Mandela, and Mother Teresa.

Great work on musical scoring by Martin Phipps. Editing and sound effects were exceptional. "The Princess" is streaming now on Hulu, via HBO Max.

This is the most definitive documentary on 'The People's Princess'. It revealed pertinent details not only about this inspiring woman's life and times, but also the circumstances surrounding her death. My opinion has always been that Diana was seen as a threat to the 'institution' - an opinion shared by many, I'm sure.

2022 gave us a handful of notable documentaries, and "The Princess" is right up there among the best of them. Diana Spencer was practically a 'social experiment' of what could go wrong if you put "a modern person in an ancient institution."

I'm still unsure how to understand it. Did Diana survive the British monarchy, or did they survive her?

I can't help but think that, I too, am part of the problem for having watched this. Our needs as human beings to view another's life. To put others higher on a pedestal than we are. When in reality we should all be equals.

Is it entertainment I'm not so sure. Yes, it's done well and it's nice to reminisce. New footage and reactions emerge. But there is a time about halfway thru that the conscience kicks in and you start to ask yourself "should I be watching this? Isn't THIS the problem?"

This documentary just showed a lot of random clips with no context. The minimal commentary will put you to sleep. Worst documentary. All over the place. They should have taken out the clips that were seriously low quality and didn't add anything to the story. Should be called "bad old clips from when Princess Diana was alive." There are ways to edit clips to make them less shaky, so clearly the editor didn't know Although there are some who know her story, there are a lot of us who were too young to know what happened. This missed the mark at getting the younger people involved. Must have a lot of background knowledge.

How authentic, when prepared and approved by multiple people, can footage truly represent someone who is continuously in the eye of the public? Or in other words, what mediatic approach (total collaboration) would help said medias to sell more papers and magazines? The royal protocols about clothing alone is endless, so that would reflect on all other maters as well...

This "bold and immersive narrative of her life and death" has nothing new about Princess Diana's life and death. Nothing. Never seen before film footage? If so, it was totally trivia footage. I can't believe the hype about this documentary. If you were around during the Diana years and followed her life and death, don't bother getting an HBO Max subscription to watch this rehash. You will be wasting your money.

What is included is less celebrity comments and more average person on the street, or wherever they were, comments. The oddest of this being the home film of some unknown guys playing cards the night of the car accident. The TV news is on in the background, and they are commenting on it. When it is announced she died, we see the reaction of some of the guys. Whyever these guys were taping their card game that night, and however the makers of this film discovered their home movie and included it in this documentary, is totally beyond me.

But, hey, Diana was the "people's princess" and these were her people. At least both good and bad things about her life are included, such as her unsatisfiable need for press attention, even while she was denouncing the paparazzi. Watch this film if you must watch every film made about Diana. Don't watch it if you are looking for something new about her, or looking for a documentary that will glue you to the screen.