Factual

ITV has commissioned from 72 Films a new feature-length film marking what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday, aiming to tell the definitive story of the most famous woman in the world.

ITV also announced a second commission Diana’s Decades, a 3x60 series, from Spun Gold, taking in each stage of the princess’s life as it played out against and influenced the spirit of the times.

Told in the present tense, the 1x90 film Diana draws on never-heard-before testimony and rarely-seen archive footage to immerse viewers in the most iconic moments of the Princess’s life.

Using a rich tapestry of footage, photos and letters from those who were closest to the Princess, it pieces together her incredible journey from being a teenage Pimlico nursery assistant to finding her voice as the Princess of Wales.

The epic documentary, directed by the Bafta award winning Jemma Chisnall, also goes behind the scenes to provide a vivid insight into the complex woman behind the media image, who was by turns a global superstar, tabloid obsession, a wife in a tumultuous marriage, a devoted mother, a humanitarian icon and arguably the world’s most hunted person.

Produced by 72 Films, whose previous work includes The Rise of The Murdoch Dynasty, the programme is executive produced by Mark Raphael and David Glover.

The series includes extraordinary, rarely seen archive footage from the Princess’s life alongside iconic scenes from the changing social, fashion and economic cultures Diana lived through during the 1980s and 90s – from the “big bang” in the City, the transition from Thatcherism to the Blair era and changing attitudes to sexuality, 24-hour news channels and the confessional TV of Oprah Winfrey, to the rise of the Spice Girls during “Cool Britannia”.

Daniela Neumann, MD of Spun Gold TV says: “Nearly 25 years on from her tragic death, Diana, Princess of Wales continues to lead our news bulletins and conversations not just in Britain but around the world. Diana’s Decades takes a fresh approach to recounting her life and legacy by looking at how she was shaped by the changing world around her and as a result transformed not just the monarchy but also society more widely as her legacy.”

Teresa Watkins, Executive Producer says: "This is Diana's story but it's also the story of us, and how we've been marked by her life even in ways we are not fully aware of. And we've gone all out to track down people who were there at the time so that we can bring fresh insight into the life, and times, of Diana, Princess of Wales.”

Diana’s Decades is a Spun Gold TV production for ITV. The series is filmed and directed by Nick Angel, produced by Jim Boyers and executive produced by Teresa Watkins. It was commissioned by Jo Clinton-Davis.