Princess Diana LATEST: Lady Di and Prince Charles were genuinely in love, says royal photographer during ITV documentary
A NEW documentary marking what would be Princess Diana's 60th birthday has just started - a week before her memorial statue is unveiled.
Lady Di was tragically killed in a car crash but 24 years later, she is still a much-loved figure for people across the world.
ITV has commissioned a new documentary focused on the life and legacy of the Queen of Hearts.
The 90-minute feature length film Diana is set to air this Thursday (24 June, 2021) at 9pm as a tribute to the late princess ahead of what would have been her birthday.
A statue is set to be revealed in honour of the late Princess on July 1 in London.
Both of her sons, Princes and , are to attend the event despite the post-Megxit tension which was made worse by the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Read our Princes Diana live blog below for all the latest updates...
HOW WILL DIANA'S 60TH BIRTHDAY BE CELEBRATED?
As the big day approaches, a new tribute to Lady Diana is in the works.
A statue is due to be unveiled on 1 July, 2021, at Kensington Palace to commemorate her 60th birthday.
Both of her sons, Princes Harry and William, are to attend the event despite the post-Megxit tension which was made worse by the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey.
PRINCE CHARLES FLEW OUT TO PARIS WITH DIANA'S SISTERS JUST HOURS AFTER DEATH
Just hours after the horrific crash, Prince Charles quickly arranged a flight from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeen to France, joined by Diana's sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.
Diana's trusted driver-minder Colin Tebbutt flew to Paris at 6.30am, immediately after hearing about the princess' death.
He met Charles when the prince arrived at Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, where Diana's body was taken, later that afternoon.
Mr Tebbutt told the that Charles prayed inside Diana's hospital room for 15 minutes, together with Diana's sisters and two priests, including Father Yves-Marie Clochard-Bossuet and Anglican Martin Drape
WHERE IS PRINCESS DIANA BURIED?
The 36-year-old royal's body was taken back to the UK where she was laid to rest in Northamptonshire.
Princess Diana is buried at the grounds of her childhood home, the Spencer family estate at Althorp.
It has been reported that the exact spot the princess was buried was an island at the centre of an ornamental lake known as The Oval within Althorp Park's Pleasure Garden.
Althorp House, surrounded by 15,000 acres of Northamptonshire countryside, is around a mile away.
DIANA ‘BOLDLY’ CONFRONTED CAMILLA OVER CHARLES AFFAIR & SAID SHE ‘DIDN’T WANT TO BE TREATED LIKE AN IDIOT’, PAL CLAIMS
Princess Diana "boldly" confronted Camilla Parker Bowles over her relationship with Prince Charles as she "didn't want to be treated like an idiot", a friend has claimed.
Ahead of what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday, the late royal's friend Debbie Frank has appeared in a new ITV documentary where she gives insight into the final years of the couple's marriage.
When she met Diana in 1989, Debbie - who was also the Princess' astrologist - claims Prince Charles was spending the majority of his time at their home in Highgrove close to where Camilla lived.
During the interview, Debbie referenced a "bold" confrontation between Diana and the Duchess of Cornwall which took place at Camilla's sister's 40th birthday party.
She said: "It's a big act of boldness [from Diana] to be able to confront [Camilla].
"But of course, Camilla is a really unflinching person and I don't think it made any difference at all."
PRINCESS DIANA WOULD BE 'VERY UNCOMFORTABLE' WITH OPRAH INTERVIEW
Simone Simmons, a pal and confidante of the late princess, said Diana thought the chat show host was "only after sensationalism" and showed a "lack of respect" to her interview subjects.
The fierce revelation comes just months after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry let loose on the Royal Family in their explosive chat with Oprah in March.
Harry claimed his dad and brother were "trapped" in the Royal Firm, while Meghan revealed she had had suicidal thoughts during her time as a working royal.
The bombshell interview was a result of Meghan and Harry's friendship with Oprah - who Diana, it seems, did not feel as comfortable to be around.
In an updated version of the book Battle of Brothers, Simone Simmons tells author Robert Lacey: “Diana felt very uncomfortable with Oprah."
TREVOR REES-JONES: WHO IS PRINCESS DIANA’S BODYGUARD?
Trevor Rees-Jones - who now calls himself Trevor Rees - was born on March 3, 1968, in Rinteln, Germany.
He was the middle of three sons of British Army surgeon Colin Rees and his nurse wife Gill.
When he was ten, the family moved to Oswestry, Shropshire, and he went to Fitzalan School where he met his future wife Sue Jones.
Trevor enrolled in the Combined Cadet Force at school and after his A-levels joined the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment, serving one tour in Northern Ireland.
In 1995, he went to work as a private security guard for Harrods owner Mohammed al-Fayed, father to Dodi Fayed, and later the People's Princess.
COLIN TEBBUTT SAYS 'WE'D ALL BE ALIVE TODAY' IF DIANA HADN’T EXTENDED HER STAY IN FRANCE
Speaking to the , Mr Tebbutt said: “She didn’t come back on the Thursday as scheduled because the Tories were having a go at her again over landmines.
“She was accused of using the campaign to boost her own image, which was nasty and upset her.
“So she contacted us and said she didn’t want all the hassle that would be waiting for her in the UK. She would return at the weekend instead.
“If she had come back that Thursday…maybe we’d all be alive still today.”
POLICE CHASE CAR ON LAX RUNWAY AS PRINCE HARRY HEADS TO UK FOR DIANA STATUE UNVEILING
Prince Harry arrived at Los Angeles International Airport to head to the UK for the unveiling of a Princess Diana statue just as a car chase was unfolding.
Harry was seen arriving at the airport in a black SUV on Thursday evening where he took off for London to attend the unveiling next week.
His arrival at LAX coincided with a driver breaking through a fence at a FedEx cargo facility around 6pm and leading police on a chase before being detained.
Police said that there were no injuries, but two runways were shut down as the chase was unfolding.
Read the full story here
PRINCE HARRY AND WILLIAM CUT GUEST LIST FOR PRINCESS DIANA'S STATUE UNVEILING DUE TO COVID FEARS
Prince Harry and William have ditched plans for a big gathering next week to celebrate the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana amid Covid fears.
The guest list for the ceremony on what would have been their mother's 60th birthday has now been reduced from more than 100 to just a handful of people.
With the brothers set to stand shoulder-to-shoulder despite their ongoing bitter rift, with many of Diana's friends, ex-staff and supporters were due to gather at Kensington Palace on July 1.
But because Freedom Day has been delayed, the princes have hit the brakes on a large ceremony and will instead only be welcoming a small handful of relatives, reports
CAN YOU VISIT PRINCESS DIANA'S GRAVE?
The People's Princess's resting place is off limits to the public, but the small island can be viewed from a distance.
Visitors to Althorp Park are able to pay their respects at a memorial site located on the grounds.
There is also a white memorial urn that glows among the lush greenery, and visitors can leave tributes at the lakeside temple dedicated to Diana.
WHY WAS PRINCESS DIANA IN PARIS WHEN SHE DIED?
It has been revealed that Princess Diana stayed in France‘s capital city for an extra day after a row over her land mines campaign.
Diana’s ex-driver and minder Colin Tebbutt said an argument over her call for the mines to be banned convinced her to stay longer than planned.
She was expected to be back in London on August 28, 1997.
Mr Tebbutt told the : “She didn’t come back on the Thursday as scheduled because the Tories were having a go at her again over landmines.
“She was accused of using the campaign to boost her own image, which was nasty and upset her.
“So she contacted us and said she didn’t want all the hassle that would be waiting for her in the UK. She would return at the weekend instead.”
PRINCES DIANA’S FINAL WORDS IN HER LAST PHONE CALL
Diana’s final phone call was with Daily Mail royal correspondent Richard Kay. She had told him to switch off his phones and get some sleep – her last words before her tragic death.
There was a mad rush to the hospital where Diana’s body was being held.
Late in the afternoon on the day of her death, Colin Tebbutt, Consul-General Keith Moss, a nursing sister, Diana’s butler Paul Burrell, Father Clochard-Bossuet and police guards were the only people in her room.
Over the next few hours, a large number of officials would make their way to the hospital. Mr Tebbutt said he noticed “suddenly down the corridor comes this tall man and his wife and they just walked into Diana’s room with the policeman saluting”.
He said: “I’m like, ‘What the hell’s happening now?’ I went to call him back when I suddenly realised it was President Jacques Chirac and Mrs Chirac. Mr Chirac bowed at the end of the bed and walked out.”
VIEWERS SHOCKED AT PRINCE CHARLES DATING RECORD
Fans that tuned in to tonights documentary were baffled by Prince Charles dating history as the history of his relationships with Diana’s sister was dug up.
Sarah McCorquodale, Diana’s sister, is the eldest of the Spencer children.
Despite dating the Prince of Wales herself in 1977, Lady Sarah had no qualms about introducing the royal to her younger sister Princess Diana at Althorp House, in Northampton.
After the couple’s engagement in 1981, she reportedly said: “I introduced them, I’m cupid.”
ASTONISHING INSIGHT INTO HOURS AFTER PRINCESS DIANA’S DEATH FROM CHARLES’ TEARS TO HER FINAL MOVEMENTS
Astonishing fresh insight into the hours after Princess Diana’s death has been revealed.
Diana died in Paris on August 31, 1997 after the car she was in crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel.
DIANA'S HIGHLIGHTS
The documentary ends with some of her greatest achievements.
She single-handedly changed the world's attitude to HIV/AIDS & landmines.
Her work with over 100 charities continues to change the world.
COLIN TEBBUTT: IF DIANA HADN’T EXTENDED HER STAY IN FRANCE ‘WE’D ALL BE ALIVE TODAY’
Speaking to the , Mr Tebbutt said: “She didn’t come back on the Thursday as scheduled because the Tories were having a go at her again over landmines.
“She was accused of using the campaign to boost her own image, which was nasty and upset her.
“So she contacted us and said she didn’t want all the hassle that would be waiting for her in the UK. She would return at the weekend instead.
“If she had come back that Thursday…maybe we’d all be alive still today.”
DIANA AND BALLET
Derek Deane, British dancer, has revealed Dianas love for ballet. He explained "Ballet was so important in her life."
He believed that when he looked at Diana whilst she was watching the ballet she would be thinking "That would be wonderful if it was me."
WHEN IS PRINCESS DIANA’S BIRTHDAY?
Born on 1 July, 1961, Diana would have celebrated her 60th birthday.
A day fondly remembered by her father, Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer.
“I remember my father always used to talk about the day Diana was born, 1st July 1961, and it was a sweltering hot day and this wonderful daughter appeared”, said the princess of Wales’ younger brother, Charles, to
“It’s so funny to be of an age now where your slightly older sister’s 60. It will be an emotional day, but it will be a tribute to a much missed and much loved sister, mother.”
Less than twenty-four years since her tragic death on 31 August, 1997, it remains one of the main dates that her close family and friends commemorate each year.
TEA WITH DIANA
During tonight's documentary AIDS survivor, George Hodson, recounts the day he met Diana on World AIDS Day, he said "four of us got the golden ticket to take tea with Diana.
"So she came in, and she came to hug me, and she said ah you smell divine.
"People like Diana changed the haters by changing the ignorance."
HARRY AND MEG INTERVIEW HAS SIMILAR SIGNIFICANCE TO DIANA BASHIR INTERVIEW
Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview bore a similar level of significance to Diana’s interview with Martin Bashir in 1995.
The Princess of Wales infamously told Bashir “there was three of us in this marriage” referring to Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
A probe has since found Bashir used fake documents to secure the scoop, with the BBC forced to apologise.
ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHER DIDN'T BELIEVE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAID DIANA AND CHARLES WEREN'T IN LOVE
Royal photographer, Arthur Edwards has said he believes that Prince Charles and Diana were genuinely in love, and "does not believe" people when they say otherwise.
He described the couple as being "so together".
PRINCESS DIANA MADE HER SONS ‘PROMISE TO BE BEST FRIENDS’
PRINCESS Diana once made her sons “promise to be best friends” and “never let anyone come between them” her psychic pal has revealed.
Simone Simmons, who Diana used to consult before her death, said William and Harry vowed to keep their mum’s wish – giving her a big hug to seal the deal.
DIANA’S COUSIN REVEALS SPECIAL ‘CHILDHOOD’ CRUSH
Princess Diana’s first cousin reveals that the royal would keep pictures of her “childhood crush” in her dorm.
Those pictures turned out to be her future husband as they were of Prince Charles himself.
The Princess is said to have decorated her whole dorm with pictures of him a new ITV documentary reveals tonight.
WHY WAS PRINCESS DIANA IN PARIS WHEN SHE DIED?
It has been revealed that Princess Diana stayed in France‘s capital city for an extra day after a row over her land mines campaign.
Diana’s ex-driver and minder Colin Tebbutt said an argument over her call for the mines to be banned convinced her to stay longer than planned.
She was expected to be back in London on August 28, 1997.
Mr Tebbutt told the : “She didn’t come back on the Thursday as scheduled because the Tories were having a go at her again over landmines.
“She was accused of using the campaign to boost her own image, which was nasty and upset her.
“So she contacted us and said she didn’t want all the hassle that would be waiting for her in the UK. She would return at the weekend instead.”
CAN YOU VISIT HER GRAVE?
The People's Princess's resting place is off limits to the public, but the small island can be viewed from a distance.
Visitors to Althorp Park are able to pay their respects at a memorial site located on the grounds.
There is also a white memorial urn that glows among the lush greenery, and visitors can leave tributes at the lakeside temple dedicated to Diana.