18+ movies about the life of Princess Diana

Introduction

A good biography is always fun to watch. Many Academy Award-winning movies have been biographical films such as Bohemian Rhapsody (about Freddie Mercury), The Imitation Game (about Alan Turing), The Theory of Everything (about Stephen Hawking), and so many more. 

Similarly, there has always been a particular interest towards the British Royal Family, which has led to a number of great films being produced. Some of them are Mary Queen of Scots (2018), The King’s Speech (2010), and The Madness of King George (1994). 

However, a certain member of the British Royal Family has garnered attention from the general public unlike any other, that is, of course the beloved Diana, Princess of Wales. Naturally, a lot of movies have been made inspired by her life and death. Keep reading to learn more about movies about Lady Diana and about Diana herself. 

Movies and Documentaries About Diana, Princess of Wales

Movies and documentaries about Princess Diana have been made since before her death due to the very public nature of her life. Let’s look at some of the many movies about Princess Diana.

1. The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana (1982)

This is probably one of the very first TV movies about Princess Diana that was ever made. This biographical movie was released just a year after Charles and Diana got married. It is about the early romance and courting between the couple.

This makes it one of the few movies that do not revolve around what later turned out to be deeply tempestuous years after the couple’s ‘fairytale wedding’. It features Catherine Oxenberg as Lady Diana Spencer and Christopher Baines as Charles, Prince of Wales. 

2. Diana: Her True Story (1993)

This is one of the few biographical movies about Princess Diana’s life (1990s) that came out when she was still alive. Thus, it does not include the fact that the couple divorced in real life a few years later in 1996, as well as Diana’s death a year later.

This particular movie is based upon the book of the same name, written by Andrew Morton. Both the book and movie are known for revealing the tension that Charles and Diana felt in their marriage. It included instances like Diana confronting Camilla Parker Bowles, Charles’ former girlfriend at the time, and how unhappy and alone Diana felt. Serena Scott Thomas starred as Diana, Princess of Wales and David Threlfall as Charles, Prince of Wales in this movie.

3. Princess in Love (1996)

This is one of the many British movies about Princess Diana. It was also based on a book, this one written by Anna Pasternak. It is about the five-year long affair that began between Diana and Captain James Hewitt, a riding instructor, between 1986 to 1991. Diana was still married to Charles, Prince of Wales at the time and thus, her new relationship was highly controversial.

James Hewitt had been the source for the book written by Pasternak. The movie was directed by David Greene, with Julie Cox and Christopher Villers playing the roles of Diana, Princess of Wales and Captain James Hewitt, respectively. The role of Charles, Prince of Wales was played by Christopher Bowen. 

4. Diana: A Tribute to the People’s Princess (1998)

This movie was released the year after Diana’s death and is supposed to be a tribute to her life by showing how she spent her last year alive. Her relationship with Dodi Al Fayed, her companion and romantic partner at the time of her death is explored in some detail, as well as with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Her charity work and patronage also shows her in a good light.

The movie also followed Diana as she struggled with being chased by paparazzis everywhere she went. It stars Amy Seccombe as Diana, Princess of Wales and George Jackos as Dodi Al Fayed.

5. The Diana Conspiracy (2004)

This is a lesser known documentary about Princess Diana’s death in August 1997. It addresses and explores the possibility that her death might not have been an accident, which was believed and presented by the media as well as other fans of Diana, Princess of Wales.

This documentary uses real photographs and testimonies of many people involved in order to investigate whether Diana’s death was a simple car accident or an assassination. It was written and directed by Martyn Gregory, who also wrote a book on the same subject, titled Diana: The Last Days.

6. The Queen (2006)

There is a lot that has to be done when a member of the British royal family dies and this movie gives us a glance at how Queen Elizabeth II grappled with the Prime Minister of the UK at the time, Tony Blair, following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

It shows how the indifference shown by the royal family members toward Diana’s death leads to a public outcry against the monarchy in Britain, and how the Queen eventually pays her respects to Diana. Although this movie is not really about Diana’s life, but with the right amount of drama, wit, respect, and a touch of comedy in this movie, The Queen stands to be one of the best movies about Diana’s death. 

Michael Sheen starred as Tony Blair in this movie and Helen Mirren won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 2007 for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II reeling after the death of Diana. The Queen (2006) was also nominated in five other categories for the Academy Award and won numerous other awards.

7. The Murder of Princess Diana (2007)

This movie explores the conspiracy around Princess Diana’s death by fictionalizing certain aspects of it. It follows Rachel Visco, a journalist who was present at the scene when the car, in which Diana and her partner Dodi Fayed were traveling, crashed and resulted in the death of three people including Diana. She realizes that, contrary to popular belief, the paparazzi are not the ones who caused the car crash. She investigates this incident and uncovers secrets that can threaten her own life. 

The Murder of Princess Diana was directed by John Strickland and stars Jennifer Morrison as the journalist, Rachel Visco.

8. Unlawful Killing (2011)

Unlawful Killing is a highly controversial film that was finally released in 2011 after almost four years because of fear of litigation due to the sensitive subject it is based on. Even still, it remains banned in the United Kingdom.

Directed by Keith Allen, this documentary points out all the inconsistencies regarding the actual car accident that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as during the multiple investigations that were conducted by the authorities to figure out the cause of the accident on that fateful August night. 

9. Diana (2013) 

This wonderful movie follows Diana, Princess of Wales, played by Naomi Watts, during the last few years of her life. It tells us about the relationship that blossomed between Diana and a British-Pakistani surgeon named Hasnat Khan, as well as her subsequent relationship with the Egyption film producer named Dodi Al Fayed.

The movie is said to be very emotional, possibly portraying Diana’s last moments alive. It also shows how the paparazzi affected her mental state and the unhappiness she felt in her personal life. Naveen Andrews stars as the Pakistani surgeon, Hasnat Khan, with Cas Anvar playing the role of Dodi Fayed.

10. Diana: 7 Days That Shook The World (2017)

This documentary is a well-made tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. True to its name, it shows every aspect of the seven days that followed the death of Princess Diana in Paris. The reaction of the media, the public, and even the British royal family regarding Diana’s funeral and other customs, is shown to a great extent.

The documentary also includes interviews of several people that were at the heart of it all and serves as a great reminder of the huge effect Diana’s death had on the monarchy and the nation at large. This documentary was directed by Ben Ryder and narrated by James D’Arcy.

11. Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy (2017)

The heartfelt documentary, released 20 years after her death, presents Diana as the loving and caring mother she was through the testimonies and reflections of her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. They talk about the generous and affectionate spirit their mother was with the help of many unseen photographs and videos.

Although it does not focus much on the more scandalous events of her life such as her divorce with Charles, Prince of Wales, and her love affairs, it throws light on how deeply she cared about patients suffering from cancer or AIDS and the homeless. 

12. Princess Diana: Tragedy or Treason (2017)

This documentary was released on the day of the 20th anniversary of the car accident that resulted in the death of the beloved Diana, Princess of Wales.

It reexamines the events of that night as well as the inquiries and investigations that followed, concluding that the conspiracies spun at the time were, in fact, false. This documentary also uses reenactments to portray certain events and Amber Neukum plays the role of Princess Diana.

13. The Story of Diana (2017)

This is a well-made documentary that attempted to throw light on Diana’s early life through interviews given by her brother, Charles Spencer, as well as other individuals who knew her in life.

It also shows how much the attention of the media and paparazzi troubled Diana and eventually led to her death in some way. Directed by Rebecca Gitlitz, this documentary is almost three hours long, being one of the most detailed accounts of Diana’s life and death.

14. Diana and I (2017)

Directed by Peter Cattaneo, this is one of the many British movies that focus on the aftermath of her death in a car accident in Paris. This movie, however, emphasizes just how important a public figure Diana, Princess of Wales was and how she affected people’s lives even after her death.

It tells the story of four ordinary people: a gay teenager whose mother died the day as Diana, a Muslim woman struggling in her marriage, a florist looking to make some quick money, and a journalist who puts his career before his marriage, as they deal with Diana’s sudden death and how it affects them personally. 

15. The Diana Conspiracy: What Happened In Paris? (2020)

This documentary explores the events of 31 August, 1997 in excruciating detail in order to find out what exactly happened on that night and how the world’s most famous woman at the time met with such an awful accident that shook the world.

It addresses the conspiracies that have since sprung up and points the audience in a whole different direction.

16. Spencer (2021)

Spencer was a fresh take at the inner turmoil that Diana faced every day that she had to deal with the royal family and how she came to the decision that she had to separate from her husband, Charles, Prince of Wales.

Her deteriorating mental state seems to become much worse when she has to spend the Christmas holidays with the members of her family at the Sandringham estate of the royal family. The element of psychological horror adds a lot to the amazing direction of Pablo Larraín and the movie is said to be one of the best movies about Princess Diana. Kristen Stewart’s much-awaited performance as Diana, Princess of Wales earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. 

17. Diana: The Musical (2021)

The story of Diana, Princess of Wales is told through the means of an original musical, the recording of which was released on Netflix before its big Broadway opening. This musical is based on a book written by Joe DiPietro, who also wrote the music and lyrics for the musical, along with David Bryan.

18. The Princess (2022)

This all-new documentary uses already existing footage and photos to tell the story of Diana’s life and death. Right from the moment Diana was first hounded by the media for a comment when she publicly became Prince Charles’ girlfriend till her very last moments alive, she was constantly under a spotlight.

This documentary, interestingly, does not conduct any of its own interviews but rather uses clips from interviews conducted in the past to show the slow unraveling of Charles and Diana’s marriage and Diana’s untimely death. The famous BBC Panorama interview of Princess Diana conducted by Martin Bashir is also included in this movie. 

Who was Princess Diana?

1. Early Life

Officially titled as Diana, Princess of Wales, she has many names. Her full name being Diana Frances Spencer, she was also known in the media as Princess Diana, Lady Diana, Lady Di, and People’s Princess.

Contrary to popular belief, Diana’s was not a “rags to riches” kind of story. In fact, she was born in an aristocratic family and even grew up playing with the Queen’s sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward from time to time.

Though not doing particularly well in academics while in school, she excelled at extracurricular activities and skills such as swimming, tap-dancing, music, ballet, and more. When she was out of school at the age of 16, she worked as a nanny, dance instructor, playgroup pre-school assistant, and also did some cleaning work for her friends and sister. 

3. Marriage

It was also at this age when Diana originally met Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she would go on to marry around four years later in 1981. They got married at St. Paul’s Cathedral and their wedding was celebrated throughout the country and world.

It was one of the most popular events of the century, so evident by the fact that millions of people tuned in to watch the live telecast of their ceremony. The royal wedding was coined as a ‘fairytale wedding’ by the masses.

Due to her marriage with Charles, Prince of Wales, who is the heir apparent to the British throne, Diana acquired the titles Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales. The couple had two sons, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge in 1982, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex in 1984.

4. Divorce

However, a few years after the wedding, it became obvious that they had been having problems in their marriage and they separated.

After several years and tumultuous affairs began by both Charles and Diana, the couple divorced in 1996 and Diana lost the HRH style to her name, and came to be known as Diana, Princess of Wales.

5. Popularity

However, it was not her relationship with the future king of the United Kingdom that generated Diana’s popularity with the general public. Diana had been the first member of the British royal family to have been so open about her struggles with mental health and bulimia, a life-threatening eating disorder.

She raised her kids according to her own standards and decided everything related to them, such as their schools, their clothing, etc. Even their names are reported to have been chosen by Diana herself. 

6. Charity Work

Diana’s duties as a high-ranking member of the British royal family included various public appearances at hospitals, schools, charities, etc. However, she had a special interest in helping people and patronage of charities.

Diana publicly hugged and shook hands with AIDS patients, an action that contributed towards destigmatizing people suffering from AIDS/HIV and others’ attitudes towards them. She led numerous campaigns and opened charities for AIDS research, cancer, landmines, etc. 

7. Death

Diana, Princess of Wales, died on 31 August, 1997 in a car crash in Paris, France. The driver of the car, Henri Paul, and her partner at the time, Dodi Fayed, both died in the car crash as well.

Only a bodyguard accompanying them survived the accident. Diana’s death shook the nation and the world. The televised proceedings of her funeral were watched by almost 2.5 billion people from around the world. 

Conclusion

Diana, Princess of Wales was one of the most influential personalities of her time. Her relationship with the future king of Britain, Charles, Princes of Wales, put her in a very public role with movies and documentaries being made about her life even before her marriage with Charles.

Her unfortunate death at the age of 36 led to even more such films being made, whether to celebrate her life and deeds or to investigate the mysterious circumstances under which she died. Princess Diana remains to be loved and remembered by people all over the world.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Princess Diana

Are there any movies about Princess Diana?

There are a huge number of movies that have been made inspired by Princess Diana’s life since before her death in August 1997. These include feature films, TV movies, documentaries, and musicals. Some of the more popular movies about Princess Diana are Diana: Her True Story (1993), Princess In Love (1996), The Queen (2006), Diana (2013), Spencer (2021), and Diana: The Musical (2021).

Is there a new movie about Diana?

Yes, several new movies and documentaries about Princess Diana have been made recently. These include- The Diana Conspiracy: What Happened In Paris? (2020), a documentary investigating the events of her death; Spencer (2021), a movie starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana struggling to find her place within the British royal family; Diana: The Musical (2021), a musical about the life of Princess Diana; and The Princess (2022) a documentary about Princess Diana’s rise to international fame and her sudden death by a car accident in Paris.

What is the best biography of Diana?

Many biographical movies have been made about Princess Diana’s life. Some of the best can be The Queen (2006), a movie starring Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, who is struggling to deal with how to publicly react to Diana’s death in a way that won’t put the monarchy at risk. Spencer (2021) with Kristen Stewart as Diana, Princess of Wales is also a great biographical film about Princess Diana, as well as Diana (2013), starring Naomi Watts as Princess Diana and is about her romance with the Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan. 

Is there a Princess Diana movie on Netflix?

Besides the critically acclaimed TV series, The Crown (2016-) on Netflix, which includes Princess Diana’s story in its latest seasons, there are also quite a few documentaries and movies about Princess Diana on Netflix, such as The Story of Diana (2017), which is a detailed account of Diana’s life and includes interviews by her brother, Charles Spencer, as well as other people that had been close to her in life. Diana: The Musical (2021) was also released on Netflix before its Broadway opening, and it tells the story of Diana, Princess of Wales through the means of a musical written by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro.

What are the best documentaries about Princess diana?

Some of the best documentaries about Diana, Princess of Wales are- The Story of Diana (2017), which gives an in-depth view into the life and childhood of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles Spencer; Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy (2017), which is a series of interviews of Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, who speak about their mother’s generous and caring nature as a mother and humanitarian; The Princess (2022) is also a great documentary that tells the Diana’s story through archived videos and photos, from the moment she rose to fame till her death.