Naomi Watts as Princess Diana in the 2013 movie Diana
Naomi Watts in Diana (2013)
British-Australian actress Naomi Watts famously played the Princess of Wales in the 2013 movie Diana which was derided by critics at the time. ‘Diana might have been flawed and scheming and love-starved, but this film doesn’t help explain that. Nor does it illuminate the common touch and humanitarian side that endeared her to a global audience,’ film critic Suzanne S. Brown wrote. Even Naomi herself would later admit that the film was a ‘sinking ship’.
Emma Corrin in The Crown (2020)
Newcomer Emma Corrin was cast as Princess Diana in the fourth season of The Crown in 2019. Fans have yet to see the actress in the role though, as streaming giant Netflix has not released the next season of the show. However, the actress was pictured filming on location in Manchester in February earlier this year.
Newcomer: Emma Corrin was cast as Princess Diana in the fourth season of The Crown in 2019
Lesley Harcourt in William & Catherine (2011)
Scottish actress Lesley Harcourt – who has had roles in British crime drama Taggart – played Diana in this cheesy Hallmark movie in 2011. The TV drama was described as ‘superficial fun’ by critics and not taken very seriously.
Genevieve O’Reilly in Diana: Last Days Of A Princess (2007)
This Channel 5 docu-drama starred Irish actress Genevieve O’Reilly, who is perhaps best known for her work in the Star Wars franchise as Mon Mothma. It certainly fared better than other projects, with a review in The New York Times praising it: ‘It portrays her as needy but manipulative, loving but flawed — in other words, as a human being. Blending documentary techniques and scripted drama, it gives a surprisingly credible picture of the princess’s last summer.’
Made-for-TV: Irish actress Genevieve O’Reilly played Diana in 2007’s Diana: Last Days Of A Princess
Serena Scott Thomas in Diana: Her True Story (1993)
Based on the publication of the same name by Andrew Morton, British actress and model Serena Scott Thomas also found some praise for her portrayal in this made-for-TV movie. Entertainment Weekly said Serena showed ‘great charm’ in the role, but said she ‘more closely resembles a softer version of Murphy Brown‘s Faith Ford than she does the angular princess.’ Interestingly, Serena later played Carole Middleton in the 2011 TV movie William & Kate, depicting the courtship between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Amy Seccombe in Diana: A Tribute To The People’s Princess (1998)
This ill-advised Princess Diana tribute was released just a year after her death, and starred little known actress Amy Seccombe for the part. The project was largely ignored upon release and thought to be distasteful. Seccombe’s only other role after the TV movie was playing a medic on the TV show Operation Good Guys.
Cheesy: Amy Seccombe and George Jackos play Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed in the TV movie The People’s Princess
Julie Cox in Princess In Love (1996)
Based on James Hewitt’s book, this American TV movie follows the relationship that blossomed himself between Diana. The role went to British actress Julie Cox who was recently seen in the crime drama Broadchurch. The title failed to have much impact upon its release.
Caroline Bliss in Charles And Diana: A Royal Love Story (1982)
This 1982 American made-for-television biographical drama starred Catherine Oxenberg as Diana, Christopher Baines as Prince Charles, and Hollywood royalty Olivia de Havilland as Queen Elizabeth. It originally aired September 20, 1982 on CBS. One damning review from The Washington Post called it a piece of ‘slack-jawed heraldic voyeurism incapable of, and apparently uninterested in, transforming remote news figures into believable mortals.’
US versions: (L-R) Caroline Bliss IN Charles And Diana: A Royal Love Story (1982), AND Julie Cox in Princess In Love (1996)