Princess Diana, the first modern day princess, captivated the imagination of the world when she accepted to marry the most eligible bachelor in the world and heir apparent, Prince Charles, in July 1981. Her effervescent charm, beauty, and affinity for the common man immediately grabbed the attention of the world who had tired of the stoic, stuffy antics of the British royal monarchy.
Princess Diana: our modern day princess
Diana stirred the imagination of young girls like myself, as she emerged, the beautiful princess, on July 29, 1981, from a golden carriage, casting benevolent glances to her subjects with a loving Prince by her side. Her story which had such a promising beginning became more akin to a dark Grimm's fairytale where the evil stepmother (Queen Elizabeth) grew jealous of Cinderella (Diana's) beauty and charm and did nothing to dissuade Prince Charles to end his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (who I have to compare to Cinderella's notorious stepsisters as it is too perfect an analogy to miss!).
Twenty years after Diana's tragic death in 1997, we are still uncovering how one of the icons in the world who helped dispel the stigma of touching an AIDS patient and championed the case for removing all land mines, could have had such a lonely and spurned existence in the house of Windsor.
Princess Diana Specials and Documentaries not to miss
For Princess Di enthusiasts, August 2017 has uncovered the opportunity to see, hear and comprehend Diana better than ever before. Aired earlier this month and on Youtube is the loving tribute, Diana, Our Mother- Her Life and Legacy, which reveals another side of Diana from the iconic superstar in her most prized role as mother to Prince Harry and Prince William.
Her genuine warmth and fierce need to protect and provide her children a normal life is revealed through heartwarming video footage and candid interviews with Harry and William.The viewer grasps her delight and warmth as a human being combined with her mischievous method of parenting, per the Princes, "that she was one of the naughtiest parents".
A more controversial but revealing documentary is the recent 83-minute feature done by Channel 4, Diana: In Her Own Words, which shows never seen video footage taken during her classes with the voice coach, Peter Settelen in 1992 and 1993, revealing her deep unhappiness with Prince Charles. The sound sequences and storyline of this special are shot a bit like a scandalous ABC's News Nightline episode, but to faithful Princess Di fans, it is evident that her dreams were dashed early in life by a royal establishment who didn't seem to care and used her royal lineage as many others of the British monarchy have, to produce an heir and a spare and not much else.
Stay tuned for more specials and tributes on CNN, BBC and NBC in August and early September to capture a Princess who we can never forget.