Through the years, there have been a number of films, books, and tv shows written about the Royal Family and Diana, Princess of Wales’s life. Today, Royal Central is taking a look at all of the women who played Diana through the years.
Caroline Bliss – 1982
Embed from Getty ImagesA little over a year after the royal wedding, ABC released “Charles and Diana: A Royal Love Story” starring Caroline Bliss as the Princess of Wales. According to The New York Times, Bliss played Diana with “reasonable accuracy” in the dramatic retelling of the Princess’s wedding to Prince Charles.
Catherine Oxenberg – 1982
Embed from Getty ImagesIn 1982, CBS released a similar movie to ABC about the royal wedding starring Catherine Oxenberg as Diana, called “The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana,” The Washington Post wrote:
“The CBS film, unfortunately, makes her something of a Pollyanna, or a Cinderella — a sweet innocent sprite upon whom a fairy godmother bestowed a few crucial wishes.”
Nicola Formby – 1992
Embed from Getty ImagesIn 1992, CBS aired “The Women of Windsor” telling the story of the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York. Nicola Formby took on the role in Diana in which Variety called, “an overall flat character.”
Serena Scott Thomas – 1993
Embed from Getty ImagesBased on the bestselling novel by Andrew Morton, NBC’s “Diana: Her True Story” starred Serena Scott Thomas as the late Princess. Ironically, Scott Thomas would play Kate Middleton’s mother, Carole in the 2011 TV movie, William & Kate.
Julie Cox – 1996
Embed from Getty ImagesAnother film based on a bestselling book, “Princess in Love” was a CBS film chronicling Diana’s extramarital affair with her former riding instructor, James Hewitt.
Amy Seccombe – 1998
Embed from Getty ImagesAmy Seccombe played Diana in “Diana: A Tribute to The People’s Princess.” The film showcased Diana’s final year highlighting her relationship with Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed, and her relationship with her children, Prince William, and Prince Harry.
Genevieve O’Reilly – 2007
Embed from Getty Images“Diana: Last Days of a Princess” was billed a docudrama as it mixed real-life interviews with those close to Diana, and dramatic reenactments of the days leading up to her fatal car accident.
Lesley Harcourt – 2011
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Scottish actress played Diana in the Hallmark movie, “William and Catherine: A Royal Romance.”
Naomi Watts – 2013
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 2013 biographical film depicts the last two years of Diana’s life beginning with the events of Diana and Prince Charles’s divorce and her tours of Angola in her campaign against land mines. While the film ends with the car crash that killed Diana, the film itself does not reenact the scene.
Bonnie Soper – 2018 and 2019
In 2018’s “Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance” and 2019’s “Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal,” Bonnie Soper played Diana, Princess of Wales in flashback scenes.
Emma Corrin – 2020
Embed from Getty ImagesCorrin is taking on Diana in the fourth series of Netflix’s “The Crown.”
Elizabeth Debicki – 2021
Embed from Getty ImagesDebicki will play Diana on series 5 and 6 of The Crown,” the show’s final two series.
Kristen Stewart – 2021
Embed from Getty ImagesStewart will be next to play the late Princess in the upcoming film by Pablo Larrain. There is no release date yet, but the film is said to follow the Princess over the weekend she splits from Prince Charles, giving up her future as queen consort of England.
