Previously unheard audio recordings made by Princess Diana are to be released in a new documentary series, potentially shedding light on claims made by her brother, Earl Spencer, about King Charles. The three-part series, titled 'Diana Unheard', is set to air next year, marking the 30th anniversary of the Princess of Wales's death.
Tapes from 1992 bestseller form basis of series
The secret recordings were originally passed to journalist Andrew Morton for his 1992 bestseller, 'Diana: Her True Story'. Now, the same clips have been handed to production company Love Monday TV for the documentary, marking the first time one organisation has been granted access to the entire archive of tapes in one go.
Producers told Deadline the tapes "cover some of the ground explored by her brother, Earl Spencer, in his recent book Swan Song," paving the way for more context to emerge over his claims.
Earl Spencer's claims and Palace response
Earl Spencer has been in a dispute with Buckingham Palace after claiming King Charles said "rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough" following Diana's death in a Paris car crash in August 1997.
In a statement released last month, the Palace responded: "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss."
Producers say tapes give Diana a voice
Love Monday's Kerene Barefield said the motivation behind the series was not to settle old scores, but to "give Diana a voice". She added: "The media always gave us this tragedy that Diana was sad and lonely, and she was manipulated. These tapes don't tell that story at all. They tell a story of an incredibly brave woman who had agency and knew what she wanted and how she was going to get to it."
Ms Barefield said the tapes reveal Diana's human qualities, including her laughter. "One of the things I loved when I first heard the tapes was just hearing her laughter. In the middle episode, we go back to her childhood. There's all this stuff that you wouldn't expect and I think it shows that she had that agency and that kind of drive from a very young age."
Prince Harry is also reportedly set to produce a documentary marking Diana's death, though no official announcement has been made by the Duke of Sussex.
