Unseen Princess Diana footage to air in new Channel 4 documentary

Channel 4 have announced they are to broadcast new Diana footage in feature-length documentary.

“The tapes, which show a relaxed and off-duty Diana, are hugely illuminating about her personality, humour and charm. Combined with historical context and interviews with her closest confidants, this film provides a nuanced, multi-layered portrait of the most famous woman in the world and a mother who has shaped the future line of the royal family.” – Channel 4’s Deputy Chief Creative Officer & Head of Factual Ralph Lee

As ITV tonight prepare to broadcast Diana, Our Mother – a documentary which sees Prince William and Prince Harry talk candidly about their late mum for the first time on television, Channel 4 have revealed they will be airing a programme with previously unseen footage of Diana talking in private.

Airing shortly before the 20th anniversary of her death, the 110 minute film has drawn on a unique historical archive, video tapes recorded by Diana’s speech coach Peter Settelen, who she hired to help her prepare to publicly present her own account of events and reinvent her public persona. Some of this footage is being broadcast for the first time ever and none of it has been seen on British television before.

The footage Settelen captured at her private residence in Kensington Palace in 1992 and 1993 is the only known unmediated video with Diana ever recorded. It shows Diana rehearsing her speaking voice and also reflecting at length on her own biography and offering revealing insight into her upbringing, her courtship with the Prince of Wales, her marriage and her public life. With Diana at her most candid, informal, natural and charismatic the videos provide valuable new insight into one of the world’s most iconic women of the late 20th century and shed new light on her transformation into an enormously influential public figure who frequently dominated the world stage.

This film shows footage from Diana’s rehearsals with Settelen in 1993 which she undertook in order to help leverage her own story and hone her public voice – preparation which had begun with her making recordings for Andrew Morton’s book in 1991 and culminated in her infamous Panorama interview with Martin Bashir in 1995.

The film places the footage into the context of wider historical events shaping the royal family and wider society. Further insight is provided by in-depth interviews with those closest to Diana including her personal protection officer Ken Wharfe and private secretary Patrick Jephson as well as some confidants who will be speaking on the record for the first time – friend of more than 30 years Dr James Colthurst and Diana’s ballet teacher Anne Allan.

“This film gives Diana a voice and places it front and centre at a time when the nation will be reflecting on her life and death. It is her account of events both private and public and is an important contribution to the historical record.” – Channel 4’s Deputy Chief Creative Officer & Head of Factual Ralph Lee

Diana: In Her Own Words is just one of a number of programmes to air on a number of UK television channels this autumn as the two decade mark since her passing ever nears. Diana, Our Mother airs tonight at 9pm on ITV, STV and UTV.

2 comments

  • Poor Diana hasn’t rest in peace since her Maj had her bumped off.

  • Tabatha Stobbard

    Well they’ve grown up decent enough (if you like posh knobs) but she was still the only one I liked.