Season 5 of 'The Crown' shows off a new side of Diana. Catch up on all the facts with these documentaries when you're done.
Season 5 of The Crown is here, and with it a new perspective on Princess Diana's most tenuous decade. The latest installment of Netflix's historical drama covers the events of the 1990s, including the public dissolve of Diana's marriage to Prince Charles and the unprecedented explosion of media scrutiny on the royal family.
This year also marks the 25th anniversary of Diana's untimely death in 1997, sparking renewed interest in her legacy even beyond creator Peter Morgan's dramatization.
Check out these nine documentaries (and one bonus film) for a deeper dive on the lives of Princess Diana and the royal family during the 1990s and beyond.
1. The Princess (2022)
Most recently, and perhaps most crushing, is HBO's The Princess, released in August. The documentary uses exclusively archival audio and video footage that follows Diana's life from her whirlwind engagement to her harrowing death. There are no narrators or interviewees to distract from the immersive found footage, and the raw presentation thus paints a more subtle picture of the princess' heartbreaking story.
Stream "The Princess" On HBOMax
2. Diana: In Her Own Words (2017)
Equally intimate, Diana: In Her Own Words uses the princess' famed 1991 recordings as narration for a first-person portrayal of Diana's adult life. As now depicted in The Crown's season 5, Diana recorded her life story on secret tapes that were snuck out of the palace for journalist Andrew Morton to use as source material in his 1992 book, Diana: Her True Story. It wasn't until after the princess' death that Morton confirmed the book was written with Diana's knowledge and consent, and many of the tapes were never heard until the 2017 release of this documentary. The result allows audiences to hear Diana's point of view, hauntingly, from beyond the grave.
Stream "Diana: In Her Own Words" on Amazon Prime
3. Diana (2021)
CNN's six-part documentary combines found footage and modern interviews in an equally detailed and well-organized retelling of Princess Diana's life from childhood onward. Each episode centers on one chapter of Diana's explosive life story, including the traumatizing events of the 1990s that The Crown now depicts. For details on Andrew Morton's book and the dissolve of her marriage, see episode four.
4. Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy (2017)
Released near the 20-year anniversary of the princess' death, Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy was commissioned by Prince William and Prince Harry in honor of their mother. The film takes a less narrative approach, instead focusing on her sons' intimate memories of her personality and the humanitarian impact of her work with AIDS, landmines, homelessness, and cancer. In addition to William and Harry, the film also features interviews with Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, and the late princess' friend, Sir Elton John.
Stream "Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy" on Amazon Prime
5. Diana’s Decades (2021)
Diana's Decades divides the princess' story into three episodes covering the '70s, '80s, and '90s. The documentary includes interviews with journalist Andrew Morton as well as civilian fans of Diana, including a sweet mother-daughter duo with fond memories of the princess' impact. The result personalizes Diana's legacy for viewers who may not remember her.
Stream "Diana's Decades" On Amazon Prime
6. The Story of Diana (2018)
Also released near the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, The Story of Diana focuses on the scrutiny of the press throughout the '80s and '90s. The film includes interviews with Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, and several of Diana's close friends. Each source speaks on how difficult it was for the princess to handle the press attention, particularly in her attempts to shield her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, from the worst of it.
Stream "The Story of Diana" on Amazon Prime
7. Elizabeth and Margaret: Love and Loyalty (2020)
Before Diana ever stepped foot in a royal residence, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II's rebellious younger sister, starred in her fair share of royal scandals throughout the 1950s and '60s. The Crown introduced many royal fans to Margaret's tumultuous early adulthood, and Elizabeth and Margaret: Love and Loyalty offers another look at the sisters' relationship.
Stream "Elizabeth and Margaret: Love and Loyalty" Part 1 on Amazon Prime
Stream "Elizabeth and Margaret: Love and Loyalty" Part 2 on Amazon Prime
8. The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty (2022)
Upon her marriage to Prince Charles, Diana became one in a large web of royals that make up the House of Windsor, Britain's current reigning familial line. This six-part documentary offers an overview of the Windsor story across the 20th century and into the 21st. Beginning with King Edward VIII's abdication of the throne, the film uses interviews from historians, journalists and beyond to weave together a larger royal story that The Crown now retells.
Stream "The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty" on Discovery+
9. The Real Camilla: HRH the Duchess of Cornwall (2017)
Featured throughout The Crown's fifth season as Prince Charles' mistress, Camilla Parker-Bowles married the now-king in 2005 and became Charles' queen consort upon Queen Elizabeth II's death in September of this year. Though her origin story may be messy, Camilla has since worked hard to clear her image and serve her country. This documentary uses modern-day footage and interviews to tell the story of Camilla as we know her today.
Stream "The Real Camilla: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall" on Amazon Prime
BONUS: Spencer (2021)
Though not a documentary, this Oscar-nominated film remains a must-mention for Diana fans. Kristen Stewart stars as a psychologically tormented princess during the suffocating Christmas celebrations hosted by Queen Elizabeth at Sandringham. While struggling with bulimia and intense depression, Diana wrestles with the prospect of leaving her husband but can't find a way out without putting her two boys in danger.
Stream "Spencer" on Amazon Prime
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