Author: bang3

After six seasons filled with royal drama, the Emmy award winning Netflix series is set to take its final bow.

The last season hit the streaming service today, winding back the clock the late ninties and early noughties as Queen Elizabeth navigates an especially challenging time for the House of Windsor.

The final instalment is likely to be the show’s most emotional yet as the first four episodes portray the tragic death of Princess Diana – an event that shook Britain and the world.

Season six will be split into two parts with the second section focusing on the union of Camilla Parker Bowles and King Charles III, alongside the early relationship of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Imelda Staunton Season as Queen Elizabeth

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Imelda Staunton CBE (pictured left) is reprising her performance as Queen Elizabeth (pictured right), after rave reviews of her season five depiction landed her a Golden Globe nomination

Imelda Staunton CBE is reprising her performance as Queen Elizabeth, after rave reviews of her season five depiction landed her a Golden Globe nomination.

The actress has famously appeared in blockbuster hits such as Nanny McPhee and the devious Dolores Umbridge in the 2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix.

Seasoned actress Staunton will depict the late Queen during what could be considered among the House of Windsor’s most difficult moments.

The British thespian took the reigns from Olivia Coleman, who played the Queen in seasons three and four of The Crown.

Claire Foy originally played the late royal in the first two seasons of the show.

Jonathon Pryce as Prince Philip

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Fans may recognise Jonathan Pryce (pictured left) for his Oscar nominated performance in Netflix’s The Two Popes, or as the co-star of 80s pop icon, Madonna, in Evita (pictured right: Prince Philip)

Jonathan Pryce has returned to Netflix screens for an encore performance of the Queen’s loyal consort.

The Tomorrow Never dies actor will depict Prince Philip, who dedicated 70 years of his life to support Queen Elizabeth.

Fans may recognise Pryce for his Oscar nominated performance in Netflix’s The Two Popes, or as the co-star of 80s pop icon, Madonna, in Evita.

Prior to Pryce Doctor Who’s Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies tried their hand at portraying the royal in his younger days..

Dominic West as the Prince of Wales – now King Charles III

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Dominic West (pictured left) has returned once more to play – for the final time – the role of King Charles III (pictured right)

Dominic West has returned once more to play – for the final time – the role of Prince Charles, now King Charles III.

King Charles III is the eldest child of the late Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II.

West may be a familiar face to many watching from their comfortable sofas, with his long list of television and film accomplishments.

The actor was featured in the 2002 film Chicago, as well as the 2018 Tomb Raider and Downton Abbey: A New Era.

He also made a slew of appearances in various television dramas, including The Pursuit of Love, The Wire and The Affair.

Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana

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Elizabeth Debicki (left) returns as Princess Diana (right) in final series of The Crown.

Elizabeth Debicki will be returning to her role as the late Princess Diana for the first six episodes of season six.

The actress who bears a striking resemblance to the princess will depict the tragic events in the run up to Diana’s tragic death in 1997.

Debicki is likely to stun viewers once again with her portrayal of the beloved princess, previously bagging a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in season five.

The actress first broke out to the mainstream after she appeared in the 2013 film – The Great Gatsby – which also features Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

The blonde starlet has also featured in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Widows and the 2020 movie – Tenet.

Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey play Prince William

Rufus Kampa (pictured left) will be taking on the role of a teenage Prince William (pictured right), while Ed McVey (pictured centre) will take the reigns in depicting the heir to the British throne as he approaches adulthood

Lining up to play the role of the future King is Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey.

Rufus Kampa will be taking on the role of a teenage Prince William, while McVey will take the reigns in depicting the heir to the British throne as he approaches adulthood.

The final season of the Netflix show will be Kampa’s first introduction to television.

However the young actor has appeared on the West End plenty, starring in the  musical adaptation of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Deadline reports

Ed McVey will also be making his silver screen debut having graduated from Drama Centre London two years ago in 2021.

Fflyn Edwards and Luther Ford portray Prince Harry

Joining the cast as Prince Harry (pictured right) are Fflyn Edwards (pictured left )and Luther Ford (pictured centre)

Joining the cast as Prince William’s little brother are Fflyn Edwards and Luther Ford.

Whilst, Fflyn who is depicting a younger version of Harry has appeared in other Netflix shows like Shadow and Bone and 1899 – the final royal season will be Ford’s first.

Ford told Hero magazine that he bagged the role ‘on a bit of a whim’ after going to an open casting call.

Lesley Manville as the late Princess Margaret

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Oscar nominated actress Lesley Manville (pictured left) is making one last comeback to the series, reprising her role as Princess Margaret (pictured right)

Lesley Manville is back as Princess Margaret, the Queen’s younger sister.

Oscar nominated actress Lesley Manville is making one last comeback to the series, reprising her role as Princess Margaret – the monarch’ s younger sibling.

The award-winning thespian has also more recently appeared in the 2022 drama – Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.

She is also revered for her appearances in dramas such as Another Year and Mr Turner – for which she received BAFTA nominations.

Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles – now Queen consort

Olivia Williams (pictured left) will be making her Crown debut this season, taking the baton from Emerald Fennell who played the Queen consort in season five (pictured right: Camilla Parker-Bowles)

The final season of The Crown will document the backlash Camilla faced after making her relationship with Charles public.

The series will detail a range of hurdles encountered by the couple including the challenging task of wooing the press and public alike.

Olivia Williams will be making her Crown debut this season, taking the baton from Emerald Fennell who played the Queen consort in season five.

Williams has can be spotted in numerous films including, An Education, An Education and more famously The Sixth Sense.

Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed

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Khalid Abdalla (pictured left) will be featured as Dodi Fayed (pictured right) in the run up to his passing

For the first half of The Crown, Khalid Abdalla will be featured as Dodi Fayed in the run up to his passing.

36-year-old Diana and Dodi, 42, died in a car accident in Paris in 1997.

Abdalla has made a flurry of appearances on the big screen in films such as the Green Zone and The Kit Runner.

The  actor has also ben featured in the popular Marvel Disney+ series Moon Knight.

Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair

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Bertie Carvel (pictured left) is returning one last time to play the Labour leader – Tony Blair (pictured right)

After portraying Tony Blair, in season five of The Crown, Bertie Carvel is returning one last time to play the Labour leader.

Carvel is the first person in the history of the popular Netflix show to depict two seperate characters.

The thespian also previously featured in the show during season two, as political TV journalist Robin Day.

Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton

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Meg Bellamy (pictured left) will be making her debut to the series as Kate Middleton (pictured right), as well as to acting this season of The Crown

Meg Bellamy will be making her debut to the series as well as to acting this season of The Crown.

The fresh faced actress is set to depict a young Kate Middleton – now Catherine Princess  of Wales – during her time at St. Andrews.

According to Deadline, Bellamy has never professionally acted prior to landing the role on the illustrious Netflix show after she sent in a tape to an open casting callout.

Her previous occupations include being a red Lego Brick at Windsor’s Legoland, the Telegraph reports.

Princess Anne is potrayed by Claudia Harrison

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Olympian, Princess Anne (pictured right) will be depicted by Claudia Harrison (pictured left), who previously studied drama at Birmingham University

Olympian, Princess Anne will be depicted by Claudia Harrison, who previously studied drama at Birmingham University.

The television and film actress set to bring the no-nonsense royal to life has an impressive repertoire of credits.

Harrison landed a role  on the 2001 historical drama film – The Cat’s Meow – as well as a number of appearances on hit British television shows including, Humans, The  IT Crowd and Murphy’s Law.

James Murray as Prince Andrew

Taking on the part of controversial Prince Andrew is James Murray (pictured left). (Pictured right: The Duke of York)

Taking on the part of  controversial Prince Andrew is James Murray.

The Duke of York has not been as present in the public eye since sexual assault allegations were brought against him by Virginia Giuffre.

The second son of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh was also criticised for his close friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

British fans may recognise Murray,  who plays the royal, as he has previously featured in numerous shows, such as Cutting It, Defiance and Primeval.

Adding to his list of acting accomplishments, the actor will also be featured in the upcoming series Master of the Air on Apple TV+.

There’s little point in spending £16million on an extravagant superyacht if you haven’t go some equally extravagant friends to share it with.

Fortunately for David and Victoria Beckham, close pals Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber were on hand to enjoy the very best their sprawling new boat has to offer.

The foursome made an appearance at Miami Marina on Monday, where the Beckham family’s pride and joy was moored, before venturing out for a cruise across the Atlantic.

Victoria, 50, caught the eye in a thigh-skimming black summer dress as she walked barefoot across the deck, a large leather tote bag slung across one shoulder.

With temperatures soaring across the Florida coast, the fashion designer stayed cool beneath a baseball cap ahead of their latest cruise.

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Victoria and David Beckham were pictured at Miami Marina on Monday as they prepared to venture out on their £16million superyacht

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Cindy Crawford showed off her cleavage in a loose fitting blue shirt as she joined the Beckham’s aboard their lavish boat

The Beckham’s newly purchased waterfront mega mansion is only a few blocks from Cindy and Rande’s Miami Beach home.

Meanwhile supermodel Cindy looked as chic as ever as she sported a pair of white linen trousers with a navy unbuttoned shirt.

She paired the summery look with a white cowboy hat and had a pair of sunglasses hanging from her shirt.

Spotted aboard their superyacht earlier in the day, Victoria and David proved they still had lots in common after 25-years of marriage as they read books by the same author amid their sun-soaked Miami getaway on Friday.

The former Spice Girl, 50, and ex footballer, 49, topped up their tans onboard the family’s £16M superyacht while leafing through chilling thrillers by American writer  Freida McFadden.

Victoria put on a very leggy display in a pair of tiny cut off denim shorts which she wore with black T-shirt and baseball cap as she read Never Lie.

Meanwhile David showcased his toned and tattooed physique and went shirtless while appearing engrossed in his paperback copy of The Housemaid’s Secret, the second in a series.

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Victoria, 50, caught the eye in a thigh-skimming black summer dress as she walked barefoot across the deck

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Meanwhile supermodel Cindy looked as chic as ever as she sported a pair of white linen trousers with a navy unbuttoned shirt

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David was seen beaming as the friends hopped onto a tender boat

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Friends Cindy and Victoria shared a grin as they got ready to leave the yacht and get onto a tender

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David was smiling as he enjoyed his lavish day

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The pals all picked up their flip flops as they prepared to leave the yacht

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Victoria was seen being helped off the swim platform of the yacht so they could get into a tender

Unable to put their books down the couple later took them ashore as they were helped off the vessel by a member of the crew.

It comes after Cindy and her family showed their support for Brooklyn Beckham last month as they attended his swanky launch party for his £15-a-bottle hot sauce Cloud 23 at Bar Marmont in LA.

Cindy, who was joined by Rande, looked incredible as she cut a stylish figure in a satin black top which boasted a lace insert at the side.

She teamed the top with a black leather biker jacket, which hung loosely over her shoulders, and donned a pair of dark blue denim flared jeans.

Cindy added inches to her slender frame with a pair of black high heels and further accessorised with a rose gold bangle.

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Cindy paired the summery look with a white cowboy hat

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Cindy and her husband Rande Gerber looked loved up for the outing, as Rande sported a striped t-shirt

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The pals all put on a chic display for the luxury day out

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Cindy and Rande were later seen hopping into a golf buggy as they made a stylish arrival

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In another snap, Cindy was also seen being helped off the yacht and onto the tender

Meanwhile, her husband Rande cut a more laidback figure as he sported a grey T-shirt and a khaki denim overshirt.

He teamed the shirt with a pair of dark blue denim jeans and sported a pair of casual brown trainers.

Presley Gerber, 25, and his girlfriend Isabella Jones also joined his mother and father, who are close pals with the Beckhams, at the event.

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber joined Victoria and David Beckham for lunch on their yacht in Miami recently.

The 58-year-old supermodel —whose daughter is Kaia Gerber — flashed her cleavage in a navy blue button-up shirt as she left most of the buttons unfastened.

The fashionista’s husband of 26 years was clad in gray shorts and a striped brown and white shirt.

Meanwhile, 50-year-old Victoria and 49-year-old David coordinated in black outfits.

The fashion designer showed off her toned, tanned legs and arms in a sleeveless mini dress.

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Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber joined Victoria and David Beckham for lunch on their yacht in Miami recently

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The 58-year-old supermodel flashed her cleavage in a navy blue button-up shirt while Victoria, 50, bared her legs in a black mini dress

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Like his wife, 49-year-old David sported an all-black look with a matching hat with his Inter Miami CF’s M logo on the front

Crawford, whose career soared in the 1990s, teamed her nautical look with a pair of loose-fitting white trousers.

She added a matching white sun hat and slung a beige-colored bag over her shoulder.

The Hollywood fixture and her husband shelled out $9,625,000 on a waterfront property in Miami Beach in late 2020.

The couple, who live in Southern California, purchases a five-bedroom home just before New Year’s Eve.

They married in 1998, three years after the model and ex-husband Richard Gere divorced.

They’re parents to daughter Kaia, 23, and son Presley, 25, who have each followed in their mom’s modeling footsteps.

Meanwhile, the Beckhams — who have been married 25 years — share four children.

Their firstborn son Brooklyn is 25, Romeo is 22, Cruz is 19, and their daughter Harper is 13-years-old.

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She showcased her cleavage in an unbuttoned blouse

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Victoria wore a black baseball cap and brown leather tote as she boarded the vessel. Crawford was helped onto the luxurious boat as she stepped on barefoot

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The group smiled as they looked at something in the distance

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Crawford appeared to go makeup-free during the relaxing outing

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Cindy and her longtime husband enjoyed some fun in the sun

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On Sunday evening Cindy celebrated her Haute Living magazine cover with her son Presley, 25, at her side

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber attend ‘Cloud 23’ launch party

On Sunday evening Cindy celebrated her Haute Living magazine cover with her son Presley, 25, at her side.

Taking to Instagram after on Monday, she shared outtakes from the launch party with her 8.2 million followers.

She wrote in the caption, ‘A beautiful night in Miami with @hauteliving,’ collecting thousands of likes.

Just a few weeks ago the Meaningful Beauty founder and her businessman beau showed their support for Victoria and David’s son Brooklyn as they attended the launch party for his Cloud hot sauce.

The Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle have both been encouraged to dress like Diana so a bit of her ‘shine could rub off on them’, according to a new book.

Omid Scobie, who has long been closely associated with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, claims in his new book about the royal family that the pair were urged to essentially ‘cosplay’ as their husbands’ mother.

The Sussexes’ biographer writes that Kate, 41, and Meghan, 42, would sometimes be given outfits based on ideas which used photos of the late Princess of Wales for inspiration.

The 42-year-old quotes a royal source as saying that William, 41, and Harry, 39, were consulted anytime it was suggested that their wives be dressed in a style similar to their late mother.

It is one of a number of explosive claims made in the author’s new book Endgame, which is set to be published on Tuesday, with other allegations made inside including that Charles is a ‘pampered’ royal who has his shoelaces ironed for him.

The book also takes aim at Kate by claiming she is ‘too terrified to do anything more than grinning photo ops’, in a cruel swipe branded ‘horribly unjust’ by a friend of the Princess.

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Omid Scobie claims in his new book that Kate and Meghan were urged to dress like Diana. Pictured: Meghan Markle in 2020 (left), Princess Diana in 1982 (right) in similar green outfits

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The new book claims aides hoped a bit of Diana’s ‘shine could rub off on them’. Pictured: Kate at Ascot in 2022 (left) in a polka-dot dress and Diana at Ascot in 1988 (right) in a similar outfit

The latest claims to come out before the books official release were published in Page Six, which claims to have seen an extract that raises the spectre of Diana.

In it, Scobie writes that Kate and Meghan both wear jewellery that once belonged to their late mother-in-law, adding that a ‘huge amount of effort’ is put into ‘channelling her exact look’ and this is ‘sometimes beyond the pale’.

He adds: ‘During the past thirteen years, Diana cosplay has become a royal staple.’

The author continues: ‘Were there gentle pushes from others? At times, yes. It had been known for someone to go back and pull images of Diana at a certain place or time for ideas.

‘At the right moment this can be a sweet gesture, but there is also a slightly queasy feeling when you realise it’s often orchestrated within the same system that contributed to her living misery, and an institution that still wants some of Diana’s shine to rub off on them.’

Scobie co-authored Finding Freedom, a biography about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and has not held back in his criticism of the Royal Family in the build-up to the release of his new book.

In an interview published on Sunday to plug his latest work, he said: ‘The small achievements that we’ve seen from the Princess of Wales wouldn’t perhaps be noticed if it was from another member of the Royal Family, but with Kate it’s like ‘wow!’ ‘

His cruel swipe – described by a friend of the Princess as ‘horribly unjust’ – will infuriate the Royal Family.

Insiders said that in the past few years the Princess – intelligent, hard-working and passionate about the causes she promotes – has proved popular with the public.

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Princess Catherine pictured wearing a spring green tunic during a visit to Pakistan in 2019 (left) and Diana wearing a similar green tunic during her trip to France in 1992 (right)

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Omid Scobie, pictured here on This Morning in January, has not held back in his criticism of the Royal Family in the build-up to the release of his new book

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The Sussexes’ biographer has a new book, titled Endgame, which is set to be published on Tuesday

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But in a telling indication of the scornful tone of the new book, Scobie says that ‘we infantilise [Kate] massively so the bar is always lower’.

Today’s Sunday Times says that in the book the Princess is ‘portrayed as a woman terrified to do anything more than grinning photo ops’.

In the past, Scobie, 42, has been dubbed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s ‘mouthpiece’ for his sympathetic portrayal of the couple.

His new book Endgame, a full-frontal assault on their perceived enemies, is expected to further widen the rift between Harry and his family.

Leaked extracts seen by The Mail on Sunday paint an unflattering picture of King Charles, with Scobie judging him ‘a flawed father’ and a backstabber – and accusing him of effectively sanctioning leaks about his sons to the press.

Predictably, William also comes under fire. The author says he is increasingly in cahoots with Palace courtiers who dream up dirty tricks.

By Scobie’s account the Prince of Wales uses his aides and their press contacts to paint his younger brother as emotionally fragile.

Endgame also suggests William and Kate found the merciless lampooning of the Sussexes on the American animated satire South Park earlier this year ‘very funny’. William, it adds, disliked Meghan from the start.

And the book says the King thought his son was a ‘fool’ for making a soul-baring Netflix documentary which claimed his father told ‘lies’ and his brother ‘screamed and shouted’ at the Sandringham Summit that resulted in the Sussexes leaving for the US.

Writing of what he sees as a power struggle between the favoured Prince and the ‘unpopular’ King, Scobie claims Charles is jealous of William’s position and knows that while his reign will be merely transitional, his eldest son will have time to breathe new life into the monarchy.

Scobie alleges that Palace corruption and toxic media spin has continued into the present and reflects on what he portrays as the selfish agendas of the King and his eldest son.

This is part of Endgame’s thesis that the Royal Family are ‘desperate’ and floundering after the death of the late Queen.

Other extracts suggest Palace aides expressed doubts about whether Charles would be a suitable King.

To survive, Scobie alleges that the Palace now uses ‘jingoism’ in the style of Donald Trump.

Operation Paget was tasked with investigating the conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Diana’s tragic death

Diana, Princess of Wales attends a service commemorating the 70th anniversary of the armistice, at the Arc de Triomph on November 11, 1988 in Paris, France. . Photo: Anwar Hussein/Getty

Countless conspiracy theories emerged after Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997 — and it was Operation Paget’s job to investigate them all.

The car accident that killed Princess Diana — along with her boyfriend, Dodi Al Fayed, and the driver of the car, Henri Paul — occurred in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, when their vehicle crashed after being pursued by paparazzi. But alternative theories about Diana’s devastating death began to develop almost instantly, with the most prevalent rumor being that her death was not, in fact, an accident.

Mohamed Al Fayed, Dodi’s father, was one of the most vocal supporters of that allegation. The Egyptian businessman, who owned the British department store Harrods and the Ritz Paris at the time, alleged that the British royal family orchestrated the death of his son and the People’s Princess. He claimed that Prince Philip, Diana’s former father-in-law, ordered British security services to assassinate the royal to stop her from marrying Dodi, who was Muslim.

To investigate this theory (and other allegations), Operation Paget was formed in January 2004 at the request of the royal coroner Michael Burgess. The group of investigators — which included over a dozen senior British Metropolitan Police officers — spent three years and millions of dollars to determine the cause of Princess Diana’s death, per the BBC. In the end, their findings concluded that the car accident that killed Diana, Dodi and Paul was the result of “grossly negligent driving” — and not a royal conspiracy.

How Did Princess Diana Die? The True Story of Her Tragic Car Accident

“When you look at most incidents, accidents, you find there’s a chain of events, and if any one of those chain of events had been different, it might not have led to that happening,” David Douglas, a senior police officer and member of the Operation Paget team, explained on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, 25 years after the crash.

He added, “It’s my absolute total belief it was a terrible, tragic accident in which three people lost their lives and one other person had their life turned upside down.”

Operation Paget was also instrumental in the depiction of Diana’s death the sixth and final season of Netflix’s The Crown. The show’s executive producers worked to “delicately, thoughtfully” recreate her death by studying the nearly 900-page report, as well as other official investigations, books and documentaries, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“There’s a huge amount of respect from us all, I hope that’s evident,” executive producer Suzanne Mackie said about their work on season 6 at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August 2023.

But how did Operation Paget determine the car crash that killed Diana was accidental? Here’s everything to know about the exhaustive British investigation into Princess Diana’s death and its findings.

What was Operation Paget?

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Superindendent David Douglas; the former Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, Lord Stevens; Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson and Dick Fedorcio, Director of Public Affairs attend a press conference after an official British police inquiry into the Paris car crash which killed Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed on December 14, 2006 in London, England.Scott Barbour/Getty

Conducted by the British Metropolitan Police, Operation Paget was an official investigation into the conspiracy theories surrounding the 1997 death of Princess Diana. It was launched in January 2004, after French authorities concluded their own investigation, and led by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens.

“Every single aspect of conspiracy theories and the like will be looked at by my team and the coroner,” Stevens said in 2004, per the BBC. “We have got to try and do everything we can to draw a line one way or another under this inquiry.”

Why was Operation Paget established?

Princess Diana and Mohammed Al Fayed attending a charity dinner for the Harefield Heart Unit held at Harrods London in February 1996.Jayne Fincher/Getty

Operation Paget was established as a result of Mohamed Al Fayed’s insistence that the deaths of his son, Dodi, and Princess Diana were not accidental.

“I believe in my heart 99.9% that it was not an accident,” Al Fayed told The Mirror in February 1998. “That car didn’t accidentally crash. There was a conspiracy. I will not rest until I have established exactly what happened.”

Al Fayed believed that Diana’s death was ordered by Prince Philip and carried out by Britain’s MI6 to prevent her from marrying his son, a Muslim. Because the claims alleged crimes committed on British soil — specifically, conspiracy to commit murder — the police inquest was legally necessary, according to the BBC.

What did Operation Paget involve?

Scott Barbour/Getty

Operation Paget expanded to not only investigate Al Fayed’s claims, but also any allegations that were made in the media, legal submissions and formal correspondence since the crash occurred in 1997. The extensive investigation involved a dozen experienced police officers, took nearly three years to complete and cost millions, according to The New York Times.

To help conduct their investigation, British authorities collected more than 600 pieces of evidence and re-examined the information uncovered by the French inquiries, The New York Times reported. They also enlisted the help of lasers, computer models and 3D technology to recreate the scene of the crash, according to the BBC, to provide an “enhanced understanding” of the accident.

Why was King Charles interviewed for Operation Paget?

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales with his fiance Lady Diana Spencer during a photocall before their wedding while staying at Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral Estate in Scotland.Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty

British investigators interviewed more than 300 individuals for Operation Paget — including the future King Charles.

Charles was questioned by U.K. police in 2005 in relation to a note that Princess Diana had written in 1995. The note read: “My husband is planning ‘an accident’ in my car, brake failure and serious head injury … to make the path clear for him to marry.”

Diana also alleged in the note, which was made public by the Daily Mail in 2003, that Charles wanted to marry Tiggy Legge-Bourke, a nanny for Prince William and Prince Harry. Additionally, she claimed that Charles’ now-wife, Queen Camilla, “is nothing but a decoy.”

The interview with Prince Charles secretly took place on Dec. 6, 2005, at St. James’s Palace in London and was conducted by Stevens, the former head of Scotland Yard and the head of Operation Paget. During their meeting, Stevens read Charles Diana’s note — and asked him if he had discussed it with her or knew of her feelings. Charles declined having any knowledge of the note.

“At the end of the day he was incredibly cooperative because he had nothing to hide,” Stevens told the Daily Mail in 2021 about the interview.

What did Operation Paget conclude?

A Memorial for Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed.John Harper/Getty

After nearly three years, Operation Paget concluded its inquiry and published an 871-page report with its findings. The report, which was made public on Dec. 14, 2006, ultimately concluded that Princess Diana’s death was an accident and there was no validity to the various conspiracy theories that had surfaced over the years.

“Our conclusion is that, on the evidence available at this time, there was no conspiracy to murder any of the occupants of the car,” Stevens said as he presented his findings, per The New York Times. “This was a tragic accident.”

The report also debunked the rumors that Diana was pregnant at the time of the crash, that her calls were being monitored by Britain’s MI6 and that her house was bugged. It did confirm, however, that Henri Paul — the driver of the vehicle — was drunk and driving at an excessive speed, and that the seat belts in the vehicle were not used.  However, Stevens did not blame any of those factors as the sole cause of the deadly crash.

“A crash of this nature is similar to a major crash of an airliner,” he said, per The New York Times. “There is a long chain of events. Take out any link of that chain and this would not have happened.”

In October 2007, the evidence and findings from Operation Paget were used at the official coroner’s inquest into Princess Diana’s death. Six months later, in April 2008, the jury ruled that the deaths had been caused by “grossly negligent driving.” The jurors also cited the speed and erratic driving of both the Mercedes and the following vehicles, the driver Henri Paul’s intoxication and the fact that the deceased were not wearing seat belts as contributing factors.

What was the reaction to Operation Paget’s findings?

Prince William and Prince Harry with Prince Charles at Westminster Abbey for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty

Before the Operation Paget report was released to the public, Prince William and Prince Harry were briefed on its findings by Stevens. According to The Independent, William and Harry welcomed the report’s “conclusive findings” in their mother’s death.

“It was quite emotional,” Stevens later told The Daily Beast about his meeting with Diana’s two sons, echoing that they were satisfied with the report’s conclusions.

However, Al Fayed — whose claims of conspiracy helped launch Operation Paget — was displeased with the initial findings of the three-year investigation. Following the report’s publication, he dismissed it as “garbage” and a “cover-up,” according to The Independent.

“I’m certain 100 percent that a leading member of the royal family has planned that and that the whole plot was executed on his order with the help of members of MI6,” he told reporters after the report was published in December 2006, per The New York Times.

But after the completion of the coroner’s inquest in 2008, where 11 jurors found Dodi and Diana’s deaths to be the result of “negligent driving,” Fayed shared he was “disappointed” — but ultimately accepted the verdict.

“I’ve had enough,” he told Britain’s ITV News at Ten. “I’m leaving this to God to get my revenge.”

How did Operation Paget inform The Crown showrunners?

‘The Crown’.Netflix

The sixth and final season of the award-winning Netflix series The Crown depicts Princess Diana’s death — and took careful consideration with how they would portray the tragic event.

Netflix confirmed in October 2022 that the “exact moment of the crash impact will not be shown,”  and in August 2023 the show’s executive producers, Andy Harries and Suzanne Mackie, spoke more about the approach they took with Diana’s death.

“There were very careful, long conversations about how we were going to do it,” Mackie said at the Edinburgh TV Festival. “The audience will judge it in the end, but I think it’s been delicately, thoughtfully recreated.”

What Happens to Princess Diana in The Crown Season 6? A Look at the Real-Life Events

Part of that thoughtful recreation involved gathering information from the investigations that were conducted after Princess Diana’s death, including Operation Paget. Though The Crown does not address any of the conspiracy theories that developed following the Paris car crash, it does adhere to Operation Paget’s findings that the accident was a result of negligent driving, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“We very much followed the given facts,” Christian Schwochow, who directed two episodes of season 6, told the Los Angeles Times.

The Crown’s research team also referred to Operation Paget to understand more about Diana and Dodi’s romance in the weeks leading up to the accident and how the events unfolded that summer.

“We needed to understand not only the timeline of the events that summer but also Dodi and Diana’s emotional states and the evolving nature of their short relationship,” Annie Sulzberger, head of research on the series, told the outlet.

From her tensions with Prince Charles to her constant battle with the paparazzi, The Princess tells the story of Princess Diana’s public life through real-life archival audio and footage

Princess Diana. Photo: VINCENT AMALVY/AFP

01of 10

Life in the Spotlight

Tim Graham Photo Library

Just before their wedding, Prince Charles and Princess Diana sat down for a joint interview and spoke about the glare of the royal spotlight.

“If you don’t try to work out in your own mind some kind of method for existing and surviving this kind of thing, you would go mad, I think. In the end, you do get used to it,” Charles says before turning to Diana and asking: “Don’t you find that after the last six months you’re beginning to get used to it?”

Diana quietly responds, “Just.”

02of 10

The Wedding

Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Anwar Hussein/Getty

As Princess Diana and Prince Charles leave their wedding ceremony, a commentator says, “Usually fairy tales end here with the phrase ‘and they lived happily ever after.’ ” While footage shows celebrations throughout the U.K., including dancing and popping champagne in the streets, we know now that Princess Diana never got her storybook ending. The couple seemed to know something was amiss at the time too — as they pulled up to Buckingham Palace in their carriage, they were completely silent with no loving interactions or cheerful expressions expected of newlyweds.

03of 10

Diana’s Popularity

Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

During a 1983 tour of Australia, overwhelming crowds gathered everywhere that Princess Diana and Prince Charles visited. But it was clear that they were there to see Diana — as one commentator noted in the documentary, “You can’t give pictures of him away, but Diana is very big news everywhere.” Prince Charles recognized that he was playing second fiddle to his new wife, asking photographers, “Am I in the way?”

“Charles doesn’t like the fact that she’s a superstar, and he isn’t,” another commentator notes.

04of 10

“Trapped”

Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Charles. Diana Archive/Getty

In an interaction between the royals and members of the media, Prince Charles talks to a young Prince William as Princess Diana looks on glumly. As Prince William peers through a video camera lens, Charles tells his son, “The people in there, look at them…trapped.” The irony of the statement is not lost on viewers.

05of 10

Diana’s Loneliness

Princess Diana. Anwar Hussein/Getty

While Prince Charles “continued to live like a bachelor” despite being a husband and father, Princess Diana was clearly feeling isolated in her royal life. During a 1992 visit to the Taj Mahal, a monument built by a man to pay tribute to his wife, Princess Diana ironically posed for photos alone — and it spoke volumes about the state of the couple’s marriage at the time.

Diana looks uneasy as she’s being photographed on a bench in front of the Taj Mahal, putting on her sunglasses as she stood. She then walked over to another bench and sat with her back towards the photographers in a moment of solitude.

“So she’s just sitting there, is she?” one cameraman is heard asking.

“Thinking about her marriage,” says another.

06of 10

Dodging Paparazzi

Princess Diana. Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty

After Princess Diana and Prince Charles announced their separation, paparazzi climbed on ladders and ran into traffic to capture Diana on everyday outings, such as going to the gym and attending Prince William and Prince Harry’s school events. As Princess Diana tried to escape them, her car is shown speeding away — an ominous foreshadowing of her tragic death just a few years later.

07of 10

William and Harry Run from the Cameras

Princess Diana. Princess Diana Archive/Getty

The documentary intercuts Princess Diana’s 1993 speech, in which she announced she would be reducing her public appearances, with shots of her and her sons avoiding paparazzi. Both Prince William and Prince Harry are seen running away from the cameras and shielding their faces with hats.

“When I started my public life 12 years ago, I understood the media might be interested in what I did. I realized then their attention would inevitably focus on both our private and public lives,” Diana said in her speech. “But I was not aware of how overwhelming that attention would become, nor the extent to which it would affect both my public duties and my personal life in a manner that’s been hard to bear.”

However, she was again met with criticism: “It’s very Diana, isn’t it, to call a press conference to announce that she wants to be left alone,” said one commentator. “Very in character.”

08of 10

Coming Into Her Own

Princess Diana. Princess Diana Archive/Getty

Following her divorce, Princess Diana focused on charities and causes with special meaning to her, from homelessness to HIV/AIDS. “Good work and associating one’s self with good voluntary causes, that, I think, is the sort of direction that the Princess of Wales see herself moving in,” one commentator said before adding, in a now-ominous statement: “She has 20, 30, 40 years of active public life ahead of her. So people who think this is the end of something, you’re misunderstanding. This is the beginning of something.”

09of 10

The Crash

GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP

Home video showed a group of friends playing Uno as the news that Princess Diana was involved in a car crash in Paris unfolded on television. Although the men were making light of the coverage, the mood quickly shifted and they all fell silent when it was announced that Diana had died. The scene reflects how Princess Diana had become a source of entertainment for many, and it wasn’t until her untimely death that there was concern for her as a person.

10of 10

William and Harry in Mourning

Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Charles. Tim Graham Photo Library

Prince William and Prince Harry, just 15 and 12 at the time, had just lost their mother. However, in the days following her death, they played the roles of consolers to members of the public. In the documentary, the grieving brothers are seen shaking hands and greeting people gathered outside Kensington Palace.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are also shown viewing the public memorial to Diana outside the palace. In one tense moment, a woman calls out: “Take care of the boys.” Philip then curtly responds: “That’s what we’ve been doing.”

The exchange reflects the public criticism at the time that the Queen hadn’t been doing enough to comfort her subjects in the wake of Diana’s death.

The first episodes of The Crown season 6 depict Princess Diana in the months leading up to her fatal car crash

Princess Diana In An Area Cleared Of Landmines By The Halo Trust in Huambo, Angola. ; Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in ‘The Crown’ Season 6. . Photo: Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty ; Des Willie/Netflix

While The Crown has depicted the personal and political turmoils of the royal family throughout decades of history, part 1 of the final season largely focuses on one member in particular: Princess Diana.

The first episodes of season 6 — which dropped on Nov. 16 — chronicle the final year of the princess’s life before her tragic death on Aug. 31, 1997.

The magnitude of Diana’s loss is difficult to understand all these decades later, particularly as the nature of celebrity has changed. At the time, Diana was on the brink of stepping into her own life for the first time since she had joined the royal family, something that was evident when she was interviewed by Vanity Fair that June. Her friend Rosa Monckton told the magazine, “She’s living her life as she wants to live it. And she’s free of the restrictions that she had before. Certainly, in the way she looks, you can see that.”

Season 5’s Elizabeth Debicki returns to portray Diana in the aftermath of her divorce from Prince Charles (Dominic West). The new season follows the princess as she tries to navigate her place in both the public eye and the royal family amid her ex’s rekindled relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams). Meanwhile, Diana is also in a burgeoning romance of her own with Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla), the son of her friend and Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed (Salim Daw).

Though part 1 of the season ultimately ends in tragedy, it also features some of the happier moments of the princess’s life during her last months, including her humanitarian work and her close relationship with her sons, Prince William (Rufus Kampa) and Prince Harry (Fflyn Edwards).

From her trailblazing walk through an active landmine to her final days in Paris, here’s what happens to Princess Diana in season 6 of The Crown — along with the actual events that took place in 1997.

Princess Diana navigates her life beyond the royal family — including a potential ambassador role

Diana, The Princess Of Wales attends a gala reception and preview of her ‘Dresses Auction’ at Christies in London.Antony Jones/UK Press/Getty

During the first episode, “Persona Non Grata,” Prime Minister Tony Blair (Bertie Carvel) and his wife are visited by Diana and her older son, Prince William. Blair then recounts the visit to Queen Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton), telling the monarch that her former daughter-in-law hopes to become an ambassador of some kind to the United Kingdom or to hold an official position in the government.

The prime minister also praises Diana’s philanthropic efforts, particularly her recent work with victims of landmines and AIDS patients, saying pointedly, “When Diana talks, the world listens.”

However, Queen Elizabeth insists that Diana cannot be “in and out” of the royal family.

In reality, Princess Diana had accepted a position as a special ambassador for Britain not long before she died. One month after her death, Blair spoke to BBC interviewer David Frost about the role he and the princess had discussed.

“She had a tremendous ability, as we saw over the landmines issue … to enter into an area that could have been one of controversy and suddenly just clarify for people what was clearly the right thing to do,” he said, per The Los Angeles Times.

“I felt there were all sorts of ways that could have been harnessed and used for the good of people,” he added.

Princess Diana vacations in St. Tropez with Prince William and Prince Harry in July 1997

Diana, Princess of Wales on a boat on July 17, 1997 in Saint-Tropez, France. ; Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in ‘The Crown’ Season 6.Anwar Hussein/WireImage ; Netflix

Episode 1 also sees Princess Diana pack up her sons to vacation in St. Tropez at the same time their father is preparing to celebrate the 50th birthday of his then-girlfriend, Camilla Parker-Bowles. The trio are guests of Mohamed Al-Fayed, and Diana is introduced to Mohamed’s son, Dodi, while on board the family’s yacht.

Paparazzi follow the yacht closely — so much so that Diana asks them to back off so her children can enjoy the trip. While on board, Mohamed strongly encourages his son to pursue a relationship with Diana, despite the fact that he is engaged to another woman and set to marry her within weeks.

The trip with the Al-Fayed family really happened, and Diana was famously photographed in a leopard-print swimsuit on July 17 — Camilla’s 50th birthday. Per Newsweek, the photos ran in the Daily Mirror on July 18, the day of Charles’ party for his girlfriend, with the headline: “Dear Camilla, This will keep you off the front page. Happy Birthday & Breast Wishes love Diana.”

Paparazzi capture Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed kissing onboard the Jonikal yacht

Lady Diana on the “Jonikal”. API/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

Diana left the yacht to return her children to their father, but within days, she traveled alone back to Dodi to spend more time on board the Jonkial. In the episode “Two Photographs,” Diana is also planning a trip to Bosnia, where she walks through a landmine field to raise awareness. At the covert instruction of Mohamed, who told photographers about the couple’s trip, she and Dodi are photographed kissing on board the yacht without either of them knowing.

In the series, the photos of their kiss are published while Diana is in Bosnia. While speaking at a press conference about her walk, the princess is peppered with endless questions about her relationship with Dodi, overshadowing her landmark tour.

In reality, Diana’s famous landmine walk happened in January 1997 in Angola. Though it’s true that she visited Bosnia for the same issue during her last summer, The Crown takes creative liberties and combines the two trips into one.

The episode concludes when Dodi gives Diana a present along with a note that reads: “Paris next week?”

Dodi Fayed buys Princess Diana a diamond ring

In the third episode, “Dis-Moi Oui,” Diana and Dodi stop for ice cream in Monte Carlo one evening where they’re spotted by onlookers. The pair end up running away and taking refuge in a jewelry store.

Diana is on the verge of tears, and Dodi lightens the moment by asking if there is anything she likes in the shop. Despite explaining that she doesn’t “need anything,” Dodi reiterates that he is asking what she likes, prompting Diana to motion towards an impressive diamond ring before the two are spirited out a back door.

The following day, Diana tells Dodi that she plans to get on a British Airways flight to see her sons. He offers his family’s jet with the provision that they stop in Paris first — though she doesn’t know it, Dodi plans to visit a jewelry store that has the very ring Diana admired in the shop. Diana agrees, thus delaying her return to London by one night, a decision that ultimately proves to have disastrous consequences.

According to Diana’s former driver Colin Tebbut, at least part of this account is fabricated. He told the Daily Mail in 2021 that Diana delayed returning to England due to criticism she received from some politicians following her work related to landmines.

However, what is true is that Dodi purchased a $14,000 ring while in Monte Carlo, and he seemed to be planning a special night for Diana in Paris. His butler, Rene Delorm, said that Dodi asked him to have “the champagne on ice when they returned to the apartment” that evening, as Lord Justice Scott Baker said in the official inquest into the couple’s death,

At the time of Diana and Dodi’s death, Daily Mail reporter Richard Kay said the Princess of Wales was “as happy as I have ever known her” and that she might have considered marrying Dodi. He later recanted that statement.

Princess Diana flies to Paris with Dodi Fayed on Aug. 30, 1997

The Princess Of Wales attends a gala dinner at The Tate Gallery on her 36th birthday.Mark Cuthbert/UK Press/Getty

In The Crown, the pair fly to Paris the next day. Diana is frustrated by both the paparazzi that chase them through the city and by Dodi’s father, who insists she and Dodi stop by his home in Paris first. Diana, who is hoping to make a planned phone call with her sons, is visibly bothered by Mohamed’s overriding of their plans to go to Dodi’s home.

Diana is able to connect with her sons for a brief phone call in which they both make it clear they aren’t Dodi’s biggest fans. Prince William asks Diana if she and Dodi are getting married, something she flatly denies.

While the exact details of what did or didn’t happen on Diana’s final day have not been shared to the detail they are reenacted in the series, Prince William and Prince Harry admitted in a 2017 documentary that their last phone call with their mother was rushed. In Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, William said, “If I’d known now what was going to happen, I wouldn’t have been so blasé about it. But that phone call sticks in my mind quite heavily.”

Harry added, “Looking back on it now, it’s incredibly hard. I’ll have to sort of deal with that for the rest of my life. How differently that conversation could have panned out if I’d had even the slightest inkling her life was going to be taken that night.”

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed die in a car crash

While The Crown does not show the exact moment that the accident takes place, the car chase that preceded the wreck is shown. In episode 3, Diana and Dodi decide to eat dinner at The Ritz instead of their planned meal at Chez Benoit. Dodi proposes in their room and Diana turns him down, and the two make plans to travel together back to his apartment in the city.

The truth is that there is no hard evidence Dodi ever proposed to Diana. In The Crown, Diana tells Dodi that she plans to spend more time with her children. Sadly, she didn’t get the opportunity.

Though it wasn’t depicted in the series, Dodi was killed instantly at the site of the crash, along with the driver of the car, Henri Paul. Diana initially survived the accident, though her injuries were extensive. She was transported to a hospital, and despite doctors attempting to restart her heart for hours, they ultimately were unable to save her life. She was pronounced dead around 4 a.m. on Aug. 31, 1997.

The royal family mourns the death of Princess Diana at her funeral

Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Earl Spencer, Prince William and the Duke of Edinburgh follow the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales, as it is being carried into Westminster Abbey for a funeral service.JEFF J MITCHELL/AFP/Getty

Much has been made of the royal family’s response to Princess Diana’s death, especially in the days that immediately followed. In “Aftermath,” the fourth and final episode for part 1 of season 6, Prince Charles is immediately distraught upon hearing news of Diana’s death and insists they use a family plane to bring her body home from Paris. This was mirrored in real life when Charles was joined on the trip by Princess Diana’s sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.

While the nation mourned, the family remained holed up in Scotland at Balmoral. This is depicted in The Crown similarly. At the same time, the public was absolutely devastated by Diana’s loss. Thousands of people lined up outside Buckingham Palace each day, patiently waiting for a turn to leave flowers or gifts in her honor.

In both the show and real life, the royals returned to Britain after several days and greeted the public. Prince William and Prince Harry walked behind their mother’s coffin, with a letter addressed to “Mummy” sitting on top. They were joined by Prince Philip, Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, and Prince Charles, who wore a blue suit that was Diana’s favorite instead of a black one — a detail that The Crown left out.

From her effortlessly chic street style to the unforgettable “revenge dress,” here’s a look back at Princess Diana’s best outfits

Photo: Anwar Hussein/WireImage / Jayne Fincher/Getty

Though Princess Diana’s life was tragically cut short, her legacy continues to live on in many ways — one of which being her iconic style.

Part of what made her fashion so memorable was her ability to wear a glamorous ball gown one day and an oversized sweatshirt the next, with both looks being equally captivating. Throughout her time as Princess of Wales, Diana developed relationships with designers like Catherine Walker and Versace, but some of her most casual moments have sparked massive trends, such as the recent resurgence in athleisure. No matter what she wore, Princess Diana embodied a timeless elegance that will continue to have influence for decades to come.

Keep reading for a look back at some of Princess Diana’s best fashion moments.

Princess Diana in London in November 1980

PA Images via Getty

Princess Diana, then Diana Spencer, was just 19 years old when she was first romantically linked to Prince Charles in 1980. That year, she was photographed dodging the paparazzi near her home in London, wearing a modest pinstripe skirt, red jacket and red handbag.

Princess Diana at Buckingham Palace in February 1981

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

The blue suit that Princess Diana wore for her engagement photos with Prince Charles was chosen in quite the roundabout way. The Royal Style in the Making fashion exhibition, which was presented in 2021 at the royal’s former home of Kensington Palace, revealed that the then-19-year-old had first visited the Bellville Sassoon shop, but wasn’t finding anything she liked. The sales associate, who didn’t recognize her, suggested she try the nearby department store.

​​”You can imagine how Belinda [Bellville] and David [Sassoon] felt when they realized the future Princess of Wales had been turned away,” curator Matthew Storey told PEOPLE. The Princess and her mother ended up returning to the Bellville Sassoon shop and selecting the blue suit, sparking a years-long collaboration between the brand and Princess Diana.

Princess Diana with Prince Charles in Scotland in May 1981

Tim Graham/Getty

For her first official photocall after their engagement, Princess Diana and Prince Charles posed alongside their dog Harvey at Craigowan Lodge in Balmoral, Scotland. The Princess wore a striped pink sweater with corduroy pants and Hunter boots.

Princess Diana at her wedding to Prince Charles in London in July 1981

Fox Photos/Getty

Princess Diana’s famous wedding gown is a true testament to bridal fashion in the early 1980s. The ruffled collar, puffed sleeves and dramatic train are all notable elements of the ensemble, which was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel.

Princess Diana at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in November 1981

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Just four months after her royal wedding, the newly crowned princess was already looking the part. While visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum in November 1981, she wore a pale blue Bellville Sassoon gown and choker necklace.

Princess Diana at a fashion show in November 1982

Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

Princess Diana showed off a playful side of her fashion sense in this one-shoulder blue dress with ruffle details by Bruce Oldfield while at a fashion show at Guildhall in London.

Princess Diana in New Zealand in April 1983

Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

While visiting the Pupuke School on the North Shore in New Zealand, Princess Diana chose a more subdued look — a pale yellow Catherine Walker suit and a John Boyd hat.

Princess Diana at the London premiere of Back to the Future in January 1985

Keystone/Getty

Princess Diana’s plum-colored velvet dress at the London premiere of Back to the Future may have looked simple from the front, but the dramatic low back makes it one of her most memorable looks. For even more drama, she added a long pearl necklace that draped down her back.

Princess Diana at the White House in November 1985

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

During a visit to the White House in Washington, D.C. (where she famously danced with John Travolta), Princess Diana wore a black, off-the-shoulder gown, black opera gloves and a pearl choker necklace.

Princess Diana at the National Gallery in November 1985

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

For a dinner at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., the princess dazzled in a one-shoulder sequin gown by Hachi. She paired it with diamond earrings, metallic silver shoes and a clutch purse.

Princess Diana in Saudi Arabia in November 1986

Princess Diana Archive/Getty

For her visit to Saudi Arabia in 1986, Princess Diana wore a green-and-white dress by one of her favorite designers, Catherine Walker, along with white shoes, a white hat and a white clutch purse.

Princess Diana attending Easter mass in Windsor in April 1987

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

In celebration of the Easter holiday, Princess Diana wore a pastel blue coat by Catherine Walker as well as a matching hat and white gloves. Pictured here on her way to mass, she holds the hand of her son, Prince William, who is wearing a matching Catherine Walker coat.

Princess Diana at Cannes Film Festival in May 1987

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Princess Diana arrived at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival dripping with glamour. She wore a strapless pale blue gown by Catherine Walker and a matching scarf as well as blue satin shoes.

Princess Diana at the Guards Polo Club in England in May 1988

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Princess Diana’s 1998 appearance at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor is essentially a masterclass in looking casual yet chic. She took a simple sweatshirt and jeans and made it her own with cowboy boots, a blazer and a baseball cap.

Princess Diana in Dubai in March 1989

Georges De Keerle/Getty

While on her official tour of the Gulf States, Princess Diana visited Dubai wearing a blue-and-white suit by Catherine Walker and a turban-style hat by Philip Somerville.

Princess Diana at the British Fashion Awards in London in October 1989

Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

At the first British Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, Princess Diana showed off a slightly shorter hairstyle as well as a white gown and structured jacket by Catherine Walker.

Princess Diana in Budapest in May 1990

Georges De Keerle/Getty

In another matchy-matchy moment, Princess Diana wore a pink suit with purple trim during a trip to Hungary, which she accessorized with matching purple shoes and a purple clutch purse.

Princess Diana in Toronto in October 1991

Princess Diana. Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

In the 1990s, Princess Diana began to branch out when it came to the designers she wore. On an official trip to Toronto, she wore a red-and-white houndstooth Moschino suit and Philip Somerville hat with black netting along the brim.

Princess Diana attending Easter mass in April 1992

Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

Hats are a major element of the royal wardrobe, and it seems like Princess Diana fully embraced the tradition. For Easter in 1992, she wore a black hat with yellow trim, complementing her yellow suit jacket and pleated skirt.

Princess Diana in Cairo in May 1992

Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

Princess Diana looked as demure as ever in a teal-and-white Catherine Walker suit and Philip Somerville hat while visiting the Heliopolis War Cemetery in Cairo.

Princess Diana arriving at the Serpentine Gallery in London in June 1994

Jayne Fincher/Getty

The very night that Prince Charles admitted on national television that he had been unfaithful to her, Princess Diana stepped out in what has gone down in history as the “revenge dress.” While attending a gala at the Serpentine Gallery in London, photographers snapped now-iconic photos of the Princess wearing a fitted black off-the-shoulder dress with an asymmetrical hemline and chiffon train.

Princess Diana shopping in Knightsbridge in October 1994

Tom Wargacki/WireImage

Even when she was not making formal appearances, Princess Diana always looked elegant. While out shopping in London in 1994, she opted for a white mock neck top, fitted white pants and an olive green blazer. Her canvas and leather tote gave the look a laid-back feel.

Princess Diana at the Serpentine Gallery in London in June 1995

Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Archive/Getty

Showing this much skin was daring for a royal, but Princess Diana was a trailblazer through and through. In 1995, she wore a pale blue, knee-length Catherine Walker halter dress to a dinner hosted by Vanity Fair at London’s Serpentine Gallery.

Princess Diana in Italy in September 1995

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Leaning into her newfound fondness for midi dresses, Princess Diana wore a white Versace dress and matching white shoes while attending a charity concert in Italy.

Princess Diana in England in September 1995

Anwar Hussein/Getty

For Prince William’s first day at Eton College in Windsor, Princess Diana wore a simple black dress, adding a pop of color with a double-breasted cerulean jacket.

Princess Diana leaving Chelsea Harbour Club in London in November 1995

Anwar Hussein/WireImage

Princess Diana’s leisurewear continues to inspire fashion trends today, particularly this low-key combination of bike shorts, a sweatshirt and sneakers. Here, she wears a Virgin Atlantic sweatshirt while leaving the Chelsea Harbour Club in London.

Princess Diana in Argentina in November 1995

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

It was somewhat rare for Princess Diana to wear pink, but there’s no denying that this bubblegum pink Versace suit, which she wore during an official visit to Argentina, was extremely flattering on her.

Princess Diana in Chicago in June 1996

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Princess Diana tried purple on for size while attending a dinner at the Natural History Museum in Chicago. She paired this sleek, eggplant-colored Versace gown with matching shoes by Jimmy Choo and a choker necklace.

Princess Diana in Australia in October 1996

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

For a dinner dance in Sydney, Australia, Princess Diana wore a satin off-the-shoulder blue gown by Versace with a matching purse and shoes.

Princess Diana in London in 1997

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

This mint-colored Chanel suit was a refreshing choice for Princess Diana. She paired it with a simple nude pair of heels and a beige purse while attending an event in London.

Princess Diana in Bosnia in August 1997

Princess Diana. Kent Gavin/Mirrorpix/Getty

During a three-day visit to Bosnia, Princess Diana proved, yet again, that some of her best fashion moments were the most simple. This pair of blue jeans with a crisp white button-down and brown leather belt is every bit as chic today as they were in 1997.

Princess Diana’s ’80s and ’90s style was recreated on Netflix’s The Crown — including some of her most iconic looks

Elizabeth Debicki on The Crown; Princess Diana. Photo: Netflix; Jayne Fincher/Getty

On Netflix’s The Crown, actors Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki portrayed Princess Diana from the start of her relationship with King Charles (then-Prince Charles) to her tragic death.

In her time in the public eye as part of the British royal family, Diana — and what she was wearing — was always on display. She became a fashion icon, whether dressed in a bright blue blazer or donning an off-the-shoulder little black dress. Her wedding gown is still considered one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time, and the wardrobe department on The Crown replicated that and Diana’s signature style to Emmy-nominated perfection.

From seemingly exact outfits to others more inspired by the real clothes from actual events depicted on the show, here are the best looks recreated for The Crown’s Princess Diana.

01of 14

Princess Diana’s Engagement Outfit

Emma Corrin; Princess Diana. Des Willie/Netflix; Reginald Davis/Shutterstock

The Crown perfectly replicated Princess Diana’s look for her engagement portraits with then Prince Charles. Actress Emma Corrin, who played the “People’s Princess”during season 4, wore a blue suit over a white blouse featuring a tied neck.

02of 14

Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress

Emma Corrin; Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Des Willie/Netflix; David Levenson/Getty Images

Corrin said everyone on set “went completely silent” when she stepped out in a replica of Princess Diana’s wedding dress. Everything from the frilled lace to the embroidered sequins resembled the dress Diana wore on her big day.

03of 14

Princess Diana’s Blue Dress

Princess Diana and Prince Charles; Emma Corrin and Josh O’Connor. Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Archive/Getty; Des Willie/Netflix

The Crown recreated Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ looks for an episode featuring their 1983 tour of Australia.

04of 14

Princess Diana’s Pink Polka Dot Dress

Princess Diana; Emma Corrin. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty; SplashNews.com

This pink polka dot dress and matching fascinator calls for a royal double take!

05of 14

Princess Diana’s Red-and-White Polka Dot Dress

Emma Corrin; Princess Diana. Des Willie/Netflix; Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

The Crown added a tiara and matching necklace to Princess Diana’s red polka dot dress with spaghetti straps.

06of 14

Princess Diana’s Strapless Dress and Scarf

Emma Corrin; Princess Diana. Dean/SplashNews.com; Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Princess Diana paired a strapless dress with a matching scarf — a combination also worn by Corrin’s character in season 4.

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Princess Diana’s One-Shoulder Dress

Emma Corrin; Princess Diana. Des Willie/Netflix; Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images

While not a direct replica, a one-shoulder dress was one of Princess Diana’s go-to gown silhouettes.

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Princess Diana’s Silk Banquet Gown

Princess Diana; Emma Corrin in The Crown. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty; SplashNews.com

For a night out in New York City, Princess Diana sported a white silk gown in a sea of black.

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Princess Diana’s School Drop-Off Outfit

Tom Wargacki/WireImage; SplashNews.com

Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Diana in the final seasons of the show, looks uncanny in a shot from season 5. The actress wore a cerulean blue blazer over a black dress for a scene in which Princess Diana drops off a teenage Prince William at the elite Eton College.

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Princess Diana’s Red Plaid Ensemble

Dean/Click News & Photos / SplashNews ; Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

Debicki channeled the beloved royal again with a red plaid dress and red hat for a scene that appears to be recreating Princess Eugenie’s royal christening. While the patterns of the dresses are slightly different, the look is very on par with Diana’s early ’90s style.

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Princess Diana’s Tailored Red Dress

BACKGRID / SplashNews.com ; Tim Graham Photo Library

While filming in Mallorca, Spain, Debicki was spotted in another red look — a sleek tailored dress with a belt that mirrored the dress Princess Diana wore during a 1997 visit to a hospital in Harrow, England.

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Princess Diana’s “Revenge Dress”

Netflix ; Jayne Fincher/Getty

The Crown successfully recreated what is perhap’s one of Princess Diana’s most iconic looks, her “revenge dress.” The royal wore the iconic off-the-shoulder, little black dress on the night Prince Charles confessed his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles during an interview. In season 5 of The Crown, Debicki wore an almost identical dress as well as a similar pearl necklace.

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Princess Diana’s Pink Button-Down Top and Black Pants

Princess Diana (L); Elizabeth Debicki in The Crown. Stefan Rousseau – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images; Joan Llado / GTres / SplashNews.com

Debicki recreated Princess Diana’s simple yet chic look during her 1997 trip to Bosnia, which took place shortly before her tragic death. The actress wore a pink button-down top, black pants and a black belt to mirror the effortless look.

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Princess Diana’s Blazer and Jeans

BACKGRID / SplashNews.com; John Stillwell – PA Images/PA Images via Getty

In season 5, The Crown depicted Princess Diana’s powerful speech during a 1997 visit to Angola, where Diana made history by walking across an active minefield to broadcast the call for an international ban on landmines. For the scene, Debicki mimicked Diana’s blazer and jeans combination along with chunky gold earrings.

From their first encounter to their tragic end, here’s every relationship milestone in Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s complex history

Photo: Tim Graham Photo Library

Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s love may not have stood the test of time, but their stories will forever be intertwined.

The couple were first introduced in 1977 by Princess Diana’s sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale (née Spencer), who recounted the moment to The New York Times. “He met Miss Right and she met Mr. Right,” Sarah said. “They just clicked. They have the same giggly sense of humor, and they both love ballet and opera and sport in all forms. It’s perfect, and they are both over the moon about it.”

It wasn’t until three years later that Charles and Diana met again and began dating. After a whirlwind courtship, the pair wed in a lavish and highly publicized ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. But Diana would later reveal to her astrologer, Penny Thornton, that the wedding almost didn’t happen.

“One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding, Charles told her that he didn’t love her,” Thornton said in an ITV documentary. “I think Charles didn’t want to go into the wedding on a false premise. He wanted to square it with her and it was devastating for Diana. She didn’t want to go through with the wedding at that point, she thought about not attending the wedding.”

Instead, Diana said her vows but later stated it was the “worst day of [her] life” to her friend and voice coach, Peter Settelen. “If I could write my own script I would have my husband go away with [Camilla Parker Bowles] and never come back,” she said in a recording per The Independent, which was released as part of a Channel 4 documentary.

Never-Before-Seen Photo of Princess Diana Unveiled at Her Former Palace Home

The couple would go on to share a tumultuous 15 years together, during which they welcomed two sons, Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984.

The union was one marred by jealousy: In 1995, Diana told the BBC that Charles resented the attention she received from the public.

By 1986, the couple’s relationship was seemingly beyond the point of repair. That year, Charles wrote in a letter that he felt “in a kind of cage … longing to be free,” according to AP News. Diana’s former riding instructor, ex-army Major James Hewitt, later claimed that he had begun an affair with her around the same time.

The couple separated in 1992 and their divorce was finalized just one year before Diana’s death on Aug. 31, 1997, when she was tragically killed in a car crash.

From their lavish wedding to raising two sons in the spotlight, here is a timeline of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s relationship.

1977: Prince Charles and Diana Spencer are introduced by Lady Sarah

Serge Lemoine/Getty

The Prince of Wales and the former nanny first made each other’s acquaintance at Althorp, the Spencer family home, as Diana would later recall to the BBC. “It was 1977. Charles came to stay as a friend of my sister Sarah for a shoot,” she said, joking, “We sort of met in a plowed field.”

“I remember thinking what a very jolly and amusing and attractive 16-year-old she was,” Charles, who was 29 at the time of their introduction, recalled. “I mean, great fun, and bouncy and full of life and everything.”

When asked about her first impression of Charles, Diana simply replied, “Pretty amazing.”

November 14, 1978: Diana attends Prince Charles’ 30th birthday party

Despite seemingly hitting it off during their first meeting, it would be more than a year before Charles began courting Diana. In the meantime, Charles briefly dated Diana’s sister.

In audio recordings made by Diana at Kensington Palace, which would ultimately serve as the basis for her 1992 biography, she recalled attending Charles’ 30th birthday dance on Nov. 14, 1978. “I had a very nice time at the dance — fascinating,” she reportedly recounted in the audio files.

July 1980: Prince Charles and Diana bond at the home of a mutual friend

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Diana received an invite from mutual friend Philip de Pass to stay at his home in July 1980, when Prince Charles would also be staying.

“‘Would you like to come and stay for a couple of nights down at Petworth [in West Sussex, England], because we’ve got the Prince of Wales staying,’ ” she remembered de Pass saying, per the Daily Mail. “‘You’re a young blood — you might amuse him.’ So I said: ‘OK.’ “

During their stay, Charles and Diana bonded over his grief at the loss of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten, the Daily Express reported.

1980: Prince Charles courts Diana

Pool Photograph/Corbis/Corbis via Getty

After that trip, the Prince of Wales continued to court the young Diana. “We met 13 times and we got married,” she revealed in her tapes, according to ABC News.

Charles told the BBC he “gradually” knew that Diana was “the one” in their engagement interview.

“I suppose towards the end of the summer, the autumn, last year,” Charles said. “I began to realize what was going on in my mind, and hers, in particular. And all these things help. But you know, it was a gradual business.”

February 1981: Prince Charles proposes to Diana

Prince Charles popped the question to his future bride during a private dinner at Buckingham Palace in early February 1981. He would later recount the event to the BBC during their engagement interview.

“I asked Diana before she went to Australia,” he said. “Two or three days before. I thought it would be a good idea … if she went to Australia she could then think about it, and if she didn’t like the idea she could say she didn’t, or if she did, she could say that.”

The future princess later shared that saying “yes” was the obvious choice. “I had a long time to think about it because I knew the pressure was on both of us,” she said. “It wasn’t a difficult decision in the end. It’s what I wanted. It’s what I want.”

February 24, 1981: Prince Charles and Diana announce their engagement

MSI/Mirrorpix/Getty

The couple shared their happy news with the world on Feb. 24, 1981, with a formal announcement by the palace. “It is with the greatest pleasure that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh announce the betrothal of their beloved son the Prince of Wales to the Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of Earl Spencer and the Honourable Mrs. Shand Kydd,” the statement read.

The pair also posed for photos, with Diana wearing the famous sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring — which now belongs to Kate Middleton — and spoke to the BBC about their state of mind.

“[I’m] delighted and happy. I’m amazed that she’s been brave enough to take me on,” Prince Charles said.

When asked if they were in love, Diana replied, “Of course,” while Charles replied, “Whatever in love means” — an answer that “traumatized” his 19-year-old fiancée, she would later divulge.

June 13, 1981: Diana attends her first Trooping the Colour ceremony with Prince Charles

Princess Diana broke the “no ring, no bring” policy at the 1981 Trooping the Colour ceremony. She attended the event one month ahead of her wedding to Prince Charles.

The day took a dark turn when 17-year-old Marcus Simon Sarjeant fired blanks at Queen Elizabeth until he was wrestled to the ground by police. This incident led to security concerns for Charles and Diana’s upcoming wedding.

July 29, 1981: Prince Charles and Princess Diana are married

Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

The duo tied the knot in an epic event that would be declared a public holiday and cost the palace a jaw-dropping $48 million, according to Smithsonian magazine. They exchanged their vows at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, making Diana the first British woman to marry an heir to the throne in 300 years.

A crowd of 3,500 people waited outside the cathedral, and more than 600,000 people lined the streets in hopes of catching a glimpse of the newlyweds. Meanwhile, 7.5 million more tuned in at home to watch the nuptials.

The bride wore an ivory silk and antique lace gown by David and Elizabeth Emanuel that featured a record-breaking 25-foot train and 10,000 mother of pearl sequins.

Their vows broke tradition, as Diana elected, with Charles’ support, to omit the word “obey” from the traditional vows, The New York Times reported. Though Charles and Diana didn’t share a kiss during the ceremony, they made up for it when they shared a public liplock on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Afterward, guests were treated to 27 wedding cakes and Suprême de Volaille Princesse de Galles, or “Princess of Wales Chicken Supreme.”

Diana later recounted the day to biographer Andrew Morton. “I remember being so in love with my husband that I couldn’t take my eyes off him,” she said. “I just absolutely thought I was the luckiest girl in the world. He was going to look after me.”

August 1981: Prince Charles and Princess Diana go on their honeymoon

PA Images via Getty

The newlyweds kicked off their three-month-long honeymoon with a 12-day cruise aboard the royal yacht Brittania, upon which they traveled to Egypt and the Greek islands. The rest of their time was spent in a hunting lodge at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. In an August 1981 letter to her personal secretary Jane Parsons, Diana wrote, “The honeymoon was a perfect opportunity to catch up on sleep.”

October 1981: Princess Diana makes her first official visit to Wales with Prince Charles

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Diana’s popularity quickly became apparent during her first visit to Wales as Princess. “[Diana] sort of metamorphosed into a very, very elegant blonde beauty,” the Queen’s cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, later told PEOPLE. “They did a visit to Wales which was the beginning of, for Prince Charles, realizing, ‘They’ve come out to see my wife, they haven’t come out to see me.’ “

November 4, 1981: Prince Charles and Princess Diana attend their first State Opening of Parliament together

Diana sat alongside her new husband at their first State Opening of Parliament, marking their first major state occasion since their wedding. She opted for a white, puff-sleeve gown with long gloves, while Charles wore full military regalia.

November 6, 1981: Prince Charles and Princess Diana announce they are expecting

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Less than four months after tying the knot, the royal couple announced that they would soon be parents.

“The Prince and Princess of Wales, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and members of both families are delighted by the news,” a spokesperson for the palace said per The New York Times. “The Princess is in excellent health. The Princess hopes to continue to undertake some public engagements but regrets any disappointment which may be caused by any curtailment in her planned program.”

June 21, 1982: Prince Charles and Princess Diana welcome their first son

Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty

Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was born on June 21, 1982. The proud parents posed for pictures with the baby outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London.

Though Charles reportedly pushed to name their son Arthur, historian Robert Lacey told PEOPLE in October 2021 that “Diana, Princess of Wales proposed a more robust name — William, as in ‘William the Conqueror,’ victor of the famed Battle of Hastings in 1066.”

1983: Prince Charles and Princess Diana tour Australia and New Zealand

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

While the couple went on many royal tours overseas during their marriage, including to Italy, Thailand, South Korea and more, their 1983 voyage to Australia and New Zealand proved particularly significant in their relationship.

As was dramatized in season 4 of The Crown, Diana and Charles’ presence sparked a media frenzy that reportedly caused tension for the pair.

Diana later spoke about the tour during her 1995 BBC Panorama interview. “We’d be going around Australia, for instance, and all you could hear was, ‘Oh, she’s on the other side,’ ” she said. “Now, if you’re a man like my husband, a proud man, you mind about that if you hear it every day for four weeks.”

“You feel low about it, instead of feeling happy and sharing it,” she continued. “With the media attention came a lot of jealousy. A great deal of complicated situations arose because of that.”

February 14, 1984: Princess Diana and Prince Charles announce their second pregnancy

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

On Valentine’s Day 1984, Buckingham Palace announced Diana’s second pregnancy.

“Both Prince Charles and Princess Diana are delighted by the news — as are the Queen, Prince Philip and all the members of both families,” Palace officials said.

September 15, 1984: Prince Charles and Princess Diana welcome their second baby

Diana Princess of Wales and Prince Charles with newborn Prince Harry. David Levenson/Getty

After nine hours of labor, Diana gave birth to the 6-pound, 14-ounce Prince Harry Charles Albert David, making him third in line for the throne. He arrived one week early and was delivered in the same room that William had been born in two years prior.

Charles appeared thrilled by the arrival, calling his new son “absolutely marvelous,” and telling a chanting crowd, “We have nearly got a full polo team now,” according to The New York Times.

In her 1992 biography, Diana revealed that Charles was disappointed that they had not had a girl. “First comment was: ‘Oh God, it’s a boy,’ second comment: ‘And he’s even got red hair,’ ” she recalled.

October 20, 1985: Prince Charles and Princess Diana give a joint interview

Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Georges De Keerle/Getty

In 1985, the couple sat down with ITN to debunk rumors about themselves and their relationship. Journalist Alastair Burnet asked if Diana had found it difficult to adapt to being a public figure.

“I did, yes, only because there was so much attention on me when I first arrived on the scene. … The pressure was enormous,” she said.

She denied trying to change anything about Charles, except for the “odd tie.”

He alluded to rows with Diana, telling Burnet, “I suspect most husbands and wives fight, they often have arguments.”

“But we don’t!” Diana interjected, to which he replied, “We occasionally do.”

1986: Prince Charles and Princess Diana reportedly begin having affairs

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Charles later confirmed in his authorized biography, The Prince of Wales, that he began his affair with Camilla in 1986.

Charles wrote letters that same year, later published in his biography, also pointing to his marital despair. “How awful incompatibility is, and how dreadfully destructive it can be for the players in this extraordinary drama,” he wrote, per AP News. “It has all the ingredients of a Greek tragedy … I never thought it would end up like this.”

Ex-army Major James Hewitt also claimed to have begun an affair with Diana around this time, which he said lasted for the next five years. Hewitt later attempted to sell their private letters from this time frame for $150,000.

Late 1987: Speculation of marriage trouble between Prince Charles and Princess Diana circulates

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

In 1987, British tabloids began to run reports of a growing rift between the pair after they failed to attend Lady Amanda Ellingworth’s wedding and started spending time in separate locations.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a teacher’s aide at Harry’s school asked Diana whether her marriage was in trouble. The princess kept coy about her relationship status, replying, “It depends on what newspapers you read.”

July 29, 1991: Prince Charles and Princess Diana mark 10 years of marriage

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Despite reaching a major milestone in their marriage on their 10-year anniversary, there was little fanfare surrounding the event amid speculation that their relationship was on the rocks.

1992: Princess Diana talks of marriage trouble with Prince Charles in her tell-all

Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

In 1992, Andrew Morton published Diana: Her True Story—in Her Own Words, for which Diana herself supplied recordings through her friend James Colthurst. The book addressed Diana’s unhappiness in her marriage, detailing issues she faced as a result, such as bulimia and suicide attempts.

​​”It rocked the royal family,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith said in PEOPLE and ABC’s The Story of Diana.

December 9, 1992: Prince Charles and Princess Diana separate

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

In December 1992, Prime Minister John Major announced that Charles and Diana would be going their separate ways, also noting that their split would have “no constitutional implications.”

Per The Washington Post, Buckingham Palace also confirmed that there were no plans for the two to divorce at the time and that they would “from time to time attend family occasions and national events together.”

January 1993: Private calls between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are released

In January 1993, British tabloids published a transcript of private calls that took place in 1989 between Charles and Camilla. In the calls, he said to her, “I fill up your tank” after she said that she couldn’t bear a Sunday night without him. The pair also said “I love you” several times.

June 29, 1994: Prince Charles admits to cheating on Princess Diana

Terry Fincher/Getty

In an interview with ITN, Charles admitted he had committed adultery in his marriage to Diana, The New York Times reported. When asked if he had been faithful to her, he replied, “Yes … Until it became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried.”

October 1994: Prince Charles’ biography claims that his marriage to Princess Diana was loveless

In his 1994 biography, Charles claimed that his father had forced him into a loveless marriage with Diana. He stated that Philip convinced him that her reputation would otherwise suffer following a visit she made to Charles at the Queen’s Balmoral Castle.

Philip also insinuated that Diana was young enough “to be molded” into a future queen.

“The prince, in a state of emotional confusion, clung to these calculations,” the book read. “The pressures on him began to sweep him toward his destiny.”

September 6, 1995: Prince Charles and Princess Diana reunite for William’s first day of school

Tom Wargacki/WireImage

In September 1995, Charles and Diana came together to send off Prince William on the young royal’s first day at Eton College.

October 18, 1995: Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles attend a party sans Princess Diana

After years of keeping their love affair a secret and avoiding each other in public, Charles and Bowles attended a high-profile party, albeit with the prince arriving 90 minutes after her.

November 20, 1995: Princess Diana admits to cheating on Prince Charles

In an interview with BBC’s Panorama in November 1995, Diana spoke of the unhappiness she experienced in her marriage and confessed to having an extramarital affair, per the BBC.

When asked if she had been “unfaithful,” she replied, “Yes. I was in love with him. But I was very let down.”

Diana said the troubles she faced with Charles also affected her health. “[My eating disorder] was a symptom of what was going on in my marriage. I was crying out for help, but giving the wrong signals, and people were using my bulimia as a coat on a hanger,” she said. “They decided that was the problem: Diana was unstable.”

She continued, “The cause was the situation where my husband and I had to keep everything together because we didn’t want to disappoint the public, and yet obviously there was a lot of anxiety going on within our four walls.”

Diana also addressed Charles’ infidelities, telling host Martin Bashir, “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”

February 28, 1996: Princess Diana agrees to divorce Prince Charles

Kent Gavin/Mirrorpix/Getty

Diana announced in late February that she had agreed to her husband’s request for a divorce.

A representative for the princess issued the following statement: “The Princess of Wales has agreed to Prince Charles’s request for a divorce. The Princess will continue to be involved in all decisions relating to the children and will remain at Kensington Palace with offices in St. James’s Palace. The Princess of Wales will retain the title and be known as Diana, Princess of Wales.”

The Palace hinted there was more to consider, however, stating: “We can confirm that the Prince and Princess of Wales had a private meeting this afternoon at St. James’s Palace. At this meeting details of the divorce settlement and the Princess’s future role were not discussed. All the details on these matters, including titles, remain to be discussed and settled. This will take time.”

July 1996: Prince Charles and Princess Diana agree to divorce terms

Steve Nicholson/Mirrorpix/Getty

According to The Washington Post, Diana would lose the title of “Her Royal Highness” in the proceedings, but would still be known as Diana, Princess of Wales in future communication. The report also stated that she would receive a lump sum between $22 million and $27 million, as well as $600,000 per year to run her private office.

In addition, Diana would continue to live at Kensington Palace and share custody of the couple’s two sons.

August 28, 1996: Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s divorce is finalized

The former pair’s marriage was officially dissolved on Aug. 28, 1996, as stated in a divorce decree shared by CNN.

July 1997: Princess Diana begins dating Dodi Al Fayed following divorce from Prince Charles

By July 1997, Diana had seemingly started dating Egyptian film producer Dodi Al Fayed, the son of billionaire Harrods businessman Mohamed Al Fayed.

Though the pair had been acquaintances for years after Fayed’s polo team beat Charles’ in 1986, PEOPLE reported that their relationship did not turn romantic until nearly 10 years later, when Fayed invited the Princess of Wales and her two sons to vacation with him and his family in St-Tropez.

Diana later joined Fayed at a hotel in Paris before boarding a Harrods helicopter for a five-day Mediterranean cruise with the movie mogul.

Several London tabloids reported Charles as saying, “I’m happy if she’s happy” in response to the news of their romance.

August 31, 1997: Princess Diana dies, survived by ex-husband Prince Charles and their two sons

On Aug. 31, 1997, Princess Diana died at the age of 36 after going into cardiac arrest from massive internal injuries she sustained in a high-speed car crash.

Her boyfriend, Fayed, and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, were also killed in the accident.

CNN reported at the time that the car was traveling at 80 mph in a narrow tunnel along the Seine river, less than half a mile from the Eiffel Tower, when the driver lost control and slammed into a concrete post, then bounced into a wall. The group was reportedly being chased by members of the paparazzi on motorcycles.

Later reports, including from the BBC, indicated that the car was actually going 121 mph and that Paul had been legally drunk at the time of the incident.

September 6, 1997: Prince Charles attends Princess Diana’s funeral

Anwar Hussein/WireImage

On Sept. 6, 1997, Charles attended his ex-wife’s funeral alongside their two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. He broke royal protocol, which typically calls for military uniforms, by opting for a blue suit that Diana had reportedly favored on him.

“It was Diana’s favorite, blue suit, and she helped him choose it,” royal author Brian Hoey told PEOPLE. “She preferred him in blue [rather] than in black or gray. It was a lovely, silent compliment to her.”

In addition to the royal family, the event was attended by roughly 2,000 people, including Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sting, Mariah Carey, Tom Hanks, George Michael and Elton John, who performed his hit “Candle in the Wind” with lyrics that had been rewritten especially for Diana. More than 1 million people flooded the streets of central London to pay their respects, according to the BBC, and an estimated 2.5 billion viewers watched the event on TV.

August 2022: Princess Diana’s biographer says Prince Charles’ failed marriage to Diana “will always haunt him”

Twenty-five years after Princess Diana’s death, her biographer Andrew Morton spoke to PEOPLE about how the lasting legacy of Charles and Diana’s failed marriage lingers over the heir.

“His tragedy is whatever he does, whatever he says, however he behaves, he will be remembered for one thing: the fact that his fairy-tale marriage ended,” Morton explained.

He went on, “Just as Henry VIII is remembered for his six wives, Prince Charles is remembered for his first wife. It will always haunt him. His life has been defined by his marriage.”

Ingrid Seward, another royal biographer, added, “The ghost of Diana really stalked him at every turn.”

November 2023: The aftermath of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s divorce is depicted in the final season of The Crown

Netflix’s historical drama The Crown is concluding with a sixth and final season, which spotlights how Charles and Diana’s relationship evolved after their divorce in 1996.

The first part of season 6 shows the former couple initially communicating about their children — Prince William and Prince Harry — but it opens up an opportunity to reach better terms with each other and exchange pleasantries.

“Even though we weren’t brilliant at being married, can we be brilliant at all this?” Diana says in an episode, played by actress Elizabeth Debicki.

“Diana and I are getting on rather well at the moment,” Charles says in another scene, portrayed by actor Dominic West.