When Did The "Celebrification" of Diana Begin?

[Elan]

what re you saying? Do you serious think that Diana during her married years,as a working princess, was secretly taking part in a film.

To my thinking.. a cameo did seem possible. However, Kevin Costner's claim that she was being strongly considered for 'The 'Bodyguard' sequel is harder to entertain, even if divorced by that time.

 

[Denville]

Di's divorce terms would have barred her from doing any acting for commercial purposes so Costner is probably just trying to float a story. she might have discussed being ins a film with him in a jokey way, but it was impossible. it was impossible equally when she and Ch were married.

 

[Alison H]

Princess Beatrice had a cameo in one of the films about Queen Victoria, but it was a non-speaking part, and it's unlikely that anyone would have spotted her had the media not been told about it. And the Queen did her Bond girl piece for the 2010 Olympics . Prince Charles has been in both Coronation Street and, with Camilla, EastEnders. I don't think a brief appearance would have been a big problem, but not a main part.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Top Gun was released in theaters this summer. I was wondering if anyone recalls the original in '86, a fleeting scene with Val Kilmer and uncredited actress appears in it.. Hair style was pretty close.

Tom and Diana did know each other....is it possible ???

I believe they knew one another. I remember spotting he and his then-wife Nicole Kidman among the congregation at Westminster Abbey for her funeral.

Tom Hanks as well.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Princess Beatrice had a cameo in one of the films about Queen Victoria, but it was a non-speaking part, and it's unlikely that anyone would have spotted her had the media not been told about it. And the Queen did her Bond girl piece for the 2010 Olympics . Prince Charles has been in both Coronation Street and, with Camilla, EastEnders. I don't think a brief appearance would have been a big problem, but not a main part.

Beatrice is not a working royal so it would be of no consequence, as for the for Queen’s appearance in the olympics the film was to promote to the olympics not for self serving behavior or money. As for Charles and Camilla’s appearance in Eastenders was to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee not self-promotion.

 

[LauraS3514]

Top Gun was released in theaters this summer. I was wondering if anyone recalls the original in '86, a fleeting scene with Val Kilmer and uncredited actress appears in it.. Hair style was pretty close.

Tom and Diana did know each other....is it possible ???

A lot of young (and not-so-young) women had that hairstyle in the '80s. I had that hairstyle in the 80s - and because I found it suited me I still wear a variation of it. That is definitely NOT Diana.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

It has to be after her engagement.

I agree. It was also emphasized on Diana's wedding day. As she got out of the Glass Coach, who could forget the twenty-five foot train? The material continued on and on and on. Princess Diana was an extremely young twenty at this time. The eyes of the press were on her.

 

[kalnel]

It's amazing to look back at Diana and realize that she was in the public eye for only about 16 years. She had such an impact in a brief time.

I think one of the things that made Diana a celebrity was how she kept reinventing her style and attitude in such a short time. She went from being slightly frumpy "Shy Di" to dressing in clothes that seemed more appropriate for the older generation of royal women to a young mother to "Dynasty Di" to super-model Di. Her hair kept changing, her figure changed, her style evolved, her interests changed, her personal life changed.

She changed so often that she always gave the media something new to write about. It kept the public hooked, too. I think that's what made her a celebrity.

It's interesting to compare her to Kate. (And I don't mean to criticize either of them!) Kate has actually been in the public eye a little longer than Diana was at this point, but her private life and her public role are so different from Diana's, Kate seems more of a "royal" and less of a "celebrity." Kate always looks glamorous, but the changes in her style have been much more subtle over the years, sort of the way the Queen and the Queen Mum evolved.

(It also blows my mind to think that both William and Harry are older now than Diana was when she died.)

 

[Curryong]

Kate did not marry a Prince of Wales though at just twenty years old, in an age in which as has been discussed on this thread, when magazine and newspaper coverage were at their height. She was the first bride for a POW in almost 100 years. Diana did take on the role and the pressure on her was immense. It was the media of the day that made Diana into a celebrity.

Kate had eight years as a girlfriend of the second in line to the throne to get used to the glare of publicity, and even then it wasn’t every day. She had part time jobs during that time before marriage and was allowed something of a private life.

Also Diana’s married life was extremely miserable for various reasons, something that happened under the constant glare of publicity, while Kate’s marriage has been a happy one with several years spent as a part time royal figure, before taking on fulltime duties following Prince Philip’s retirement.

 

[SirGyamfi1]

Kate did not marry a Prince of Wales though at just twenty years old, in an age in which as has been discussed on this thread, when magazine and newspaper coverage were at their height. She was the first bride for a POW in almost 100 years. Diana did take on the role and the pressure on her was immense. It was the media of the day that made Diana into a celebrity.

Kate had eight years as a girlfriend of the second in line to the throne to get used to the glare of publicity, and even then it wasn’t every day. She had part time jobs during that time before marriage and was allowed something of a private life.

Also Diana’s married life was extremely miserable for various reasons, something that happened under the constant glare of publicity, while Kate’s marriage has been a happy one with several years spent as a part time royal figure, before taking on fulltime duties following Prince Philip’s retirement.

Kate wasn’t given that much of a private life, when she left her house photographers would follow her and some of them assaulted her, her face was plastered all over buses, she was constantly mocked for social background and her family was mocked for that too, especially Kate’s mother, amongst other things. Yes, Kate had more time to know her husband compared to her late mother-in-law but it was not easy. Not to go there but Diana’s marital issues really became public fodder because she particularly contributed to making it public fodder whilst hypocritically engaging in affairs herself.

 

[Denville]

Princess Beatrice had a cameo in one of the films about Queen Victoria, but it was a non-speaking part, and it's unlikely that anyone would have spotted her had the media not been told about it. And the Queen did her Bond girl piece for the 2010 Olympics . Prince Charles has been in both Coronation Street and, with Camilla, EastEnders. I don't think a brief appearance would have been a big problem, but not a main part.

none of these are the same. Diana could not have been in a film...

 

[Lee-Z]

none of these are the same. Diana could not have been in a film...

How about Sarah Ferguson doing a cameo in an episode of Friends (1998)...maybe that kind of cameo would have been acceptable for Diana post-divorce?

 

[Queen Claude]

To me, the actress in the Top Gun screen shot looks more like the actress who played young Diana in The Crown than Diana herself.

Diana, post-divorce, probably could not be stopped by the royal PTB from appearing in television or film but she had more financial resources and better instincts than Sarah Ferguson had.

I can't see Diana making an appearance in a mainstream film or TV show in the early years after her divorce, perhaps an appearance in a documentary or a caused-based film. I think if one of Diana's pals wanted to use their connection with her, it would be to have her attend the premiere or have her photographed visiting the set.

 

[Denville]

As far as I know Diana's divorce settlement forbade her doing anything publicly commerical. Fergie didn't get that good a settlement, and I think the queen just left her to make money if she wished because she did not wnat to help her out. but for Di as the mother of a future king, it would not look good for her to be taking acting jobs....

 

[kalnel]

Well, again, my comment wasn't intended as a criticism of Kate or Diana, just a comparison of how different their images are after their time in the public eye. For whatever reason, Diana's public life played out much more in public -- and she had an ever-changing style -- so she became more of a celebrity.

I can remember back in the 90s, there were times when magazines were reporting what Diana did every day, what she wore, what accessories she had, what products she used, and so on. We heard what time she got up, when she went to the gym, what music she had on her Walkman, what exercises she did, where she had lunch, what she ate, what friends she was talking to, what car she drove, etc.

Who knows what was true and what was made up, but that's the way the coverage was. She was covered like a movie star.

By comparison, Kate gets a lot of coverage, but most of it is when she's on official business. She gets plenty of coverage, and people do take an interest in her clothes, but I have no idea how she spends her days, and other than her sister, her friends aren't in the picture.

Just a different kind of coverage.

 

[Queen Claude]

As far as I know Diana's divorce settlement forbade her doing anything publicly commerical. Fergie didn't get that good a settlement, and I think the queen just left her to make money if she wished because she did not wnat to help her out. but for Di as the mother of a future king, it would not look good for her to be taking acting jobs....

I don't recall it being reported that Diana was forbidden from commercial ventures after her divorce, but even if she was, that would not stop her from appearing in television or film, it just means that she would not be paid, presumably a donation to one of her pet charities would be her compensation. Nevertheless I doubt if Diana would have agreed to a mainstream film or TV appearance in the early years after her divorce.

The Queen supposedly liked Sarah Ferguson more than she liked Diana. Sarah's divorce settlement was paltry in comparison to Diana's, with the bulk of Sarah's settlement going into a trust for her daughters. My take is that Sarah did not fight for a big divorce settlement because she thought that it would result in ill feelings, and she wanted to be on friendly terms, perhaps not with the entire royal family, but with The Queen and Andrew.

 

[tihkon2]

1)That's not Diana in that movie. It's really obvious that it's not.
2) There is no comparison to coverage of Diana and coverage of Kate. None whatsoever. As someone who was in his teens and 20's through her engagement, marriage, and divorce, she got 100 times the coverage Kate OR William have ever gotten. Not that that is a good thing. It was a once in a lifetime phenomenon.

 

[Rayal]

I was going to wait till this died down...but...Val Kilmer was 6 foot tall and Diana Princess of Wales was 5' 10.5" tall. In the pic their heights were about the same, but that is not her and facial features are not close to Diana's.

 

[Elan]

..In the pic their heights were about the same, but that is not her and facial features are not close to Diana's.

I'll defer to the concensus here. That said, over the years I've seen more than half a dozen film and Tv productions with those hired to play her, but I've never seen anyone capture her posture, neck line, slope of the shoulders in that manner..plus the soft self effacing quality.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Did any magazines report when Princess Diana attended church and which church it was?

 

[Rayal]

I'll defer to the concensus here. That said, over the years I've seen more than half a dozen film and Tv productions with those hired to play her, but I've never seen anyone capture her posture, neck line, slope of the shoulders in that manner..plus the soft self effacing quality.

I ...concur.

 

[Curryong]

Perhaps someone could look up when this particular film was being made, whether in California or maybe parts of it done in London studios, and what duties Diana was performing at that time.

She would have to escape the hawk eyes of the media and paps who followed every time they saw her out, of course, catch a plane there and back perhaps, shave at least half an inch from the boniest part of her nose and never ever breathe a word to any friends about taking part in a movie for the rest of her life.

Quite frankly it appears a bridge too far for me, especially as I cannot remember any film reviewer at the time noting a Diana double appearing in a scene in this particular movie. Or perhaps Val Kilmer remembers!

 

[Hallo girl]

Did any magazines report when Princess Diana attended church and which church it was?

I only recall the formal occasions, Christmas, funerals, or any kind of official duty type service. I do not recall any reports of regular church going but that is not to say she didn't . It just wasn't in the newspapers or photographed.

 

[Hallo girl]

Kate did not marry a Prince of Wales though at just twenty years old, in an age in which as has been discussed on this thread, when magazine and newspaper coverage were at their height. She was the first bride for a POW in almost 100 years. Diana did take on the role and the pressure on her was immense. It was the media of the day that made Diana into a celebrity.

Kate had eight years as a girlfriend of the second in line to the throne to get used to the glare of publicity, and even then it wasn’t every day. She had part time jobs during that time before marriage and was allowed something of a private life.

Also Diana’s married life was extremely miserable for various reasons, something that happened under the constant glare of publicity, while Kate’s marriage has been a happy one with several years spent as a part time royal figure, before taking on fulltime duties following Prince Philip’s retirement.

I agree , I also think the RF learned the hard way with regards non royal brides. They stood back and let the couple take their time. I have said it on this forum before William was determined that nothing would be rushed into,
As you point out as well, part time royal duties then stepping up. I really do believe the Queen wanted them to enjoy married life, build up gradually, have time with their babies. There was criticism but I believe we are seeing the fruit of it all now, compared to Diana where she was rushed into everything, engagement ,marriage, babies, royal duties, tours.
Charles and Diana hardly knew each other. The RF saw her popularity and jumped on it.

 

[Hallo girl]

Kate wasn’t given that much of a private life, when she left her house photographers would follow her and some of them assaulted her, her face was plastered all over buses, she was constantly mocked for social background and her family was mocked for that too, especially Kate’s mother, amongst other things. Yes, Kate had more time to know her husband compared to her late mother-in-law but it was not easy. Not to go there but Diana’s marital issues really became public fodder because she particularly contributed to making it public fodder whilst hypocritically engaging in affairs herself.

I wouldn't disagree with what you are saying but the difference between the two women is in how the situation was dealt with.
Diana and Charles rushed into engagement and marriage, the rest is history as they say.

 

[Denville]

I don't recall it being reported that Diana was forbidden from commercial ventures after her divorce, but even if she was, that would not stop her from appearing in television or film, it just means that she would not be paid, presumably a donation to one of her pet charities would be her compensation. Nevertheless I doubt if Diana would have agreed to a mainstream film or TV appearance in the early years after her divorce.

The Queen supposedly liked Sarah Ferguson more than she liked Diana. Sarah's divorce settlement was paltry in comparison to Diana's, with the bulk of Sarah's settlement going into a trust for her daughters. My take is that Sarah did not fight for a big divorce settlement because she thought that it would result in ill feelings, and she wanted to be on friendly terms, perhaps not with the entire royal family, but with The Queen and Andrew.

it was not reported no, but as fara as I recall there was a bit of stuff bout Di's being offered a chance to make a movie, after her divorce, but she siad that she' could not do anything commercial. which is kind of obvious, at the time. Sarah was not popular, iwht the public and i think most of the RF did not like hte idea of her making a lot of money out of her divorce. the queen was willilng to pay more for Diana, because Di was popular with the press and public nd it owuld look bad if they were mean iwht the divorce settlement to her. Di knew this and pressed for a large settlement.

 

[tommy100]

The difference in the two divorces was that as part of her divorce Diana signed a confidentiality agreement - Sarah didn't. Whether both were given the choice or not I don't know but Diana it seems got more because she did sign whereas Sarah didn't.

 

[Denville]

The difference in the two divorces was that as part of her divorce Diana signed a confidentiality agreement - Sarah didn't. Whether both were given the choice or not I don't know but Diana it seems got more because she did sign whereas Sarah didn't.

I supsect that Diana knew she had to sign whereas Fergie knew that thr RF were cutting her adrift and she would have to make her own money and pay off all her debts. so perhpas the RF were willing to in essence say to her Yo're out of the RF, you can do what you like, to make money... and she did.
whereas Diana probalby had no desire to go commercial and made sure that she had enough money form her settlement to make it certain that she idd not have to...and while Di could be very silly at times, I think that once she got her freedom and a good financial deal, she was not tempted to go public with further complaints about the RF nor to want to appear in a movie or the like.

 

[Queen Claude]

I don't recall Diana directly or indirectly discussing being offered a film role and turning it down due to not being able to take on commercial ventures.

Kevin Costner stated that he was in discussions with Diana to star in a sequel to The Bodyguard. He stated that it was Sarah Ferguson who put him in contact with Diana. Even though Diana and Sarah had an up and down relationship, I suspect that Sarah would know if Diana had a restriction against commercial ventures, and even if Sarah did not, it is noteworthy that once Kevin Costner contacted Diana, she did not turn him down outright and was in fact encouraging enough that things moved forward with a script being developed. My speculation is that Diana would not have gone the distance, but again that is speculation on my part, what actually put the kibosh on the project was Diana's death.

I think that when Sarah knew that her days were numbered as a British royal, she actually wanted her next chapter to be her making her own money. IMO she actually was a good role model for moving from being a high level royal to a money making ex-royal, who, let's be honest, leverages her royal tie in. I say this because she did not (IIRC) denigrate the BRF other than the so-called grey men. I think this is not really recognized because she was a spendthrift / poor money manager and the things she did right have been overshadowed by her mistakes and shortcomings.

 

[Denville]

i cant remember exactly where I read about this, but it was in some bio of Diana's.. and the gist of it seemed to be that Costner contacted Di and suggested a film role.. and Di kind of played along but she knew she could not do it. sorry I dont have an exact quote.. but I think it was a case of Di flirting with the idea, talking about it and perhaps letting Costner believe she was considering it.. and she could always then say that sorry, she now realised that her divorce agreement forbade her from doing such things.
I think she did not really want to enter the commercial marketplace, unlike Fergie who had no problems doing this.. She was upper class, she had never worked for a living as such.. and as a royal, it would have been impossible for her to get involved in any commercial ventures of any kind...
and she had taken care to ensure that her payout in the divorce was sufficient to make sure she did not need to make money.. I think she liked the idea of being in a movie, in a fantasy way, but she knew that it would be considered infra dig by the RF, and while she perhaps half liked to think of herself as turning from princess to actress, she was shrewd enough to know that it was likely to be hard work, to expose her to criticism and (even if there was no legal barrier) it would just be considered "not on" by the RF.....