HOW DIANA NARRATED A DOCUMENTARY 20 YEARS AFTER HER DEATH

Perhaps, 1895 Films’ best-known documentary is 2017’s “Diana: In Her Own Words,” an honest look at the life of Princess Diana as told, posthumously, by the princess herself. 

The documentary was a success when it premiered in 2017 on the National Geographic Channel, receiving good press coverage and enthusiastic reviews. But it took on a new life three years later when it moved to Netflix where it was paired with the fourth-season premiere of the hit drama series “The Crown.” Viewership was further boosted that year when British officials accused “The Crown” of being historically inaccurate and Netflix responded to the controversy by tweeting, “The documentary DIANA: IN HER OWN WORDS answers much of what you’re asking.” 

The added attention pushed “Diana” into Netflix’ Top 10 list of most-watched movies, a success achieved, in part, by the fact that Diana herself narrated the film. But how did a woman who tragically died in a 1997 car accident narrate a 2017 documentary? Our executive producer, Tom Jennings, acquired permission to use secret audio recordings of the late princess.

THE ORIGIN OF THE TAPES

The secret tapes that form the foundation of “Diana: In Her Own Words” originated from a conversation between Diana and Dr. James Colthurst. The princess asked her close friend whether British journalist Andrew Morton would like to write a book about her life – the real story, not the fairy tale. Colthurst and Morton were friends, as well. Morton agreed.

For several months during 1991, Morton gave lists of questions to Colthurst, who then visited his friend Princess Diana at Kensington Palace. He also brought a tape recorder. Colthurst’s interviews with Diana resulted in seven hours of recordings. She was still married to Prince Charles, residing at Kensington, and the public had no idea what her life was really like. These secret recording sessions provided an unfiltered glimpse into the princess’ thoughts, emotions, and experiences during a challenging period in her life.

FROM SECRET RECORDINGS TO BESTSELLING BOOK

With Diana’s approval, the tapes were delivered to Morton, who used the recordings for his bestselling book “Diana: Her True Story,” offering readers an unprecedented look into the private world of the beloved princess. The book’s success solidified Diana's status as an icon.

In a recent New York Post article, Morton said, “What makes the tapes given to me so authentic is that the interviews took place over a period of months and were undertaken in the relaxed environment of her sitting room, the princess literally chatting to an old chum.”

A UNIQUE FILMMAKING PROPOSAL

For years afterward, filmmakers sought to obtain the rights to use the secret tapes for Diana-related projects, but Morton consistently declined their requests. It wasn’t until he heard a pitch from our executive producer, Tom Jennings, that the author changed his mind.

“I said, ‘Andrew, wait. We do this completely differently.’” Tom recently told ABC’s Good Morning America. “‘There's no narrator. There are no modern-day interviews. We only use media from the time. It would be like Diana is narrating her own film.’”

This distinctive “no narrator, no modern-day interviews” approach to filmmaking is not new to 1895 Films. Tom has applied his signature style to many projects over the years, including our Peabody Award-winning film “MLK: The Assassination Tapes” and our Emmy Award-winning documentary “Challenger Disaster: Lost Tapes.” 

The idea of creating a documentary solely from Diana’s perspective, using her own words, intrigued Morton, so he asked Tom to fly to London for a meeting.

“I was in London the next morning,” Tom continued. “[Morton] pushed play on these tapes, and for the next seven hours… it was as if Diana was sitting there with us, telling us her life story.”

A DOCUMENTARY UNLIKE ANY OTHER

“Diana: In Her Own Words” remains a unique and powerful exploration of one of the most beloved figures in modern history, thanks to the unprecedented use of secret recordings that offer an unfiltered, personal perspective on Diana’s life.

“I’d like to think that we created the definitive Diana documentary, from Diana’s point of view,” Tom told NBC’s Today show in 2017. “This is her story. This was her truth at the time.”

The film was so popular that a new Diana documentary, also based on the secret recordings, is in production at 1895 Films. “Diana: The Rest of Her Story” will feature Diana discussing everything from her struggles with mental health to her experiences growing up, as well as her sons, Princes William and Harry.