"Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy" (2017) - ITV/HBO Documentary


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I deliberately avoided this program, in fact I dreaded it. I had visions of maudlin and/or bitter commentary by the late princess's family and friends, with the Prince of Wales as a sort of invisible pinata in the background and everyone taking a passive aggressive swing at him. I had visions of of videotape of Elton John warbling "Candle In the Wind" at her funeral, which frankly made me cringe then and now.

But reading your post and others have warmed my heart and made me wish I had seen it. It's just the way I want to remember Diana..fun, beautiful, loving her boys and being loved by them. We all know her many, many flaws but why does anyone think her children want to dredge them up now? I feel the same way about my own lost parents.

I made peace with the unhappy memories and dismiss them, and cling to the ones that bring me joy.

Thanks Dman, and everyone else for your comments.?

Hi Moonmaiden23,

I actually wanted to cry watching the program. Just watching William and Harry being so strong and very sincere about their mother just touched me. My mother is my rock and I would be lost without her. My heart goes out to the princes on their loss.

My heart goes out to Charles too. He too lost the woman who was his wife for 15 years and the mother of his two kids. Losing her and having to raise two kids as a single parent must've been hard. I think her passing is too hard for him, but I think the media keep Charles from sharing his memories of her. Everything would be twisted, so I think he stay out of it and leave it to their sons to talk.

The documentary was very tasteful, touching and memorable.
 
:previous: DITTO....you took the words straight out of my mouth.

{ I think the media keep Charles from sharing his memories of her. Everything would be twisted, so I think he stay out of it and leave it to their sons to talk. ]

I remember that he wore a suit Diana loved to her funeral, and continued to wear his wedding ring up to his engagement and marriage to Camilla. But people were calling him a hypocrite and worse, and saying it was too late to do any good.:bang:

I also think he does now want to be insensitive to Camilla by waxing nostalgic about Diana even though I cannot think it would bother Camilla at this point. She has him as her husband now and forever and she must be secure in the knowledge that she has made him happier than Diana ever did.
 
One of the books I read after her death talked about how visibly shaken and upset he was when he saw her, when he went to France to escort her body home.

That has always stuck with me, for all his sins he did care for her in some way even after all the acrimony ..it's been said they were in a better place in the months before her death (in their ability to be civil/kinder to each other when they had to speak etc).

I would of been very surprised if he had been on the show. I haven't seen it yet but someone mention they were surprised her sisters weren't on it...that doesn't surprise me at all.


LaRae
 
:previous: DITTO....you took the words straight out of my mouth.

{ I think the media keep Charles from sharing his memories of her. Everything would be twisted, so I think he stay out of it and leave it to their sons to talk. ]

I remember that he wore a suit Diana loved to her funeral, and continued to wear his wedding ring up to his engagement and marriage to Camilla. But people were calling him a hypocrite and worse, and saying it was too late to do any good.:bang:

I also think he does now want to be insensitive to Camilla by waxing nostalgic about Diana even though I cannot think it would bother Camilla at this point. She has him as her husband now and forever and she must be secure in the knowledge that she has made him happier than Diana ever did.

He, William and Harry also wore the dark blue suits to her memorial service in 2007. Diana loved Charles in those suits.

No, Camilla likely wouldn't mind Charles reflecting on her, but the media would. I think the media prefer him not to say anything. Also, I think her passing is just too much for him. A lot of people were back in their camp corners (Charles vs Diana) for 10th anniversary service, but I took a good look at him during the service. The man looked like he was broken up all over again.

My condolences remain with the three precious princes Diana left behind.

It's good to know William always talk to George and Charlotte about their grandmother, who they never met. Grandmothers are so important and at least they still have Carole as their granny.
 
Agree a 100%. So much not mentioned that shows the other side of Diana and some of the awful things she did which must have affected her sons.

William just touched on one aspect when he mentioned being careful about letting the media in - I think that was a reference to how Diana got too close which led to really bad stuff like the Morton book and the Bashir interview.

But it was a tribute and as such it was good to see; none of the usual suspects turned up - enjoyed input from William van Straubanzee, Lady Carolyn Warren and Harry Herbert.

Why on earth would they talk about "some of the awful things she did"? The title of this film was "Diana, Our Mother". It was a sweet, insightful and loving look back. I thought it was very tastefully done, and obviously was done as a tribute to her from her children who still miss and mourn her. I'm sure they're aware of her "other side" but good grief that "other side" has been dragged through the public square plenty of times by others. William said he wanted this to be a film he could show his kids, and he succeeded.
 
Why on earth would they talk about "some of the awful things she did"? The title of this film was "Diana, Our Mother". It was a sweet, insightful and loving look back. I thought it was very tastefully done, and obviously was done as a tribute to her from her children who still miss and mourn her. I'm sure they're aware of her "other side" but good grief that "other side" has been dragged through the public square plenty of times by others. William said he wanted this to be a film he could show his kids, and he succeeded.

Exactly! This is why I don't understand why so many were getting so agitated about the program and saying the boys were trashing their father by doing it. For them it is not an either/or situation, they love both their parents, but their mother is gone and memories are what they have--best to remember the good things.
 
One of the books I read after her death talked about how visibly shaken and upset he was when he saw her, when he went to France to escort her body home.

That has always stuck with me, for all his sins he did care for her in some way even after all the acrimony ..it's been said they were in a better place in the months before her death (in their ability to be civil/kinder to each other when they had to speak etc).

I would of been very surprised if he had been on the show. I haven't seen it yet but someone mention they were surprised her sisters weren't on it...that doesn't surprise me at all.


LaRae

Yes. Charles even stopped by for tea with her occasionally at Kensington Palace toward the end. When Prince William was confirmed shortly before Diana's death they(Charles and Diana) greeted one another with a kiss, I watched it on TV.

I don't think Diana was completely over the disappointment of the failure of her marriage but the idea that she was still raging against her former husband and wishing him ill is almost certainly fiction..
 
Yes. Charles even stopped by for tea with her occasionally at Kensington Palace toward the end. When Prince William was confirmed shortly before Diana's death they(Charles and Diana) greeted one another with a kiss, I watched it on TV.

I don't think Diana was completely over the disappointment of the failure of her marriage but the idea that she was still raging against her former husband and wishing him ill is almost certainly fiction..

I remember seeing them at the confirmation (film) and thinking things are better between them by how they acted towards each other.


LaRae
 
NoHarry would probably have taken his cue from William, who with the option given to him could have responded differently. As it is, they feel it was something they were made to do.
I think it was certainly right for William. if he hadn't doen it, I'm sure he would have later felt that he left his mother at her last journey. They were told they did not have to do it but that Will at least might regret it, if he didn't and he had his family around him....
 


Thank you so much for posting this! I just watched the whole show....LOVED it. I'll post some of the things that made an impression on me:

Harry talking about the terrible outfits he and William used to have to wear (Traditional children's clothing and matching with his brother)...and how he'll make his kids (interesting phrasing there) wear the same thing.

William VonStranbanzee (sp?) ..had no idea Diana was his sister's nanny...

Harry Herbert ...why have I never heard of this guy? Some real emotions from him.

Loved hearing from Diana's Lady in Waiting (Beckworth-Smith) talking about the early experience after Diana married into the family.

The media must realize by now that they will always be seen as the enemy by those boys. William was very very clear about keeping them out ...no guessing there. He must of been terrified and very angry when that situation went on with Kate in France and then with George and the media trying to lure him out.

It was nice seeing Diana's Island and Mausoleum ..really hadn't seen the pics of it before. Earl Spencer speaking about her was nice to see.

Really liked when William talked about realizing the importance of spending as much time with his children as he can.

So sad to hear them talking about that last phone call ...that's enough to make you cry. Having lost my father when I was in my early 20's I can relate to some of this.

I didn't think there was anything negative about Charles. Frankly I didn't even think of him except during the parts that dealt with their marriage and nothing negative was said about him.

William talking about making sure his kids know about Diana (that they have 2 grandmothers...make no mistake Camilla is not considered one) ..I didn't think it was creepy ...I think it was a figure of speech when William mentioned talking about her all the time, not a literal statement.

They will never get over losing her. I'm glad they have found a way to manage the grief/anger over her death. Very glad they are able to celebrate her life.



LaRae
 
They were in public what would you expect them to do? Hiss at each other.
 
They were in public what would you expect them to do? Hiss at each other.


Considering how we'd seen them before with each other in public when things weren't going so well you could tell a difference at the Confirmation ceremony.


LaRae
 

Thanks so much for posting the link. I was unable to watch it here when it was broadcast and after all the wonderful comments that have been made about this documentary, I'm sitting back now to watch it.

In regards to Charles. I'm in agreement with Pranter that Diana's death shook him to the core and I do believe he carries the best memories of the their times together. When it comes to a divorce, sometimes the best way to show love for one another is to let them go. It was the marriage that was incompatible with two very different people making a go at it. The two people themselves weren't "bad" or "evil" or "uncaring" but just incompatible.

Now to grab some coffee and a snack and watch the documentary. ?
 
Moonmaiden I felt the exact way. I am tired of Diana being drudged up for every thing and the same loons being dragged out of their holes to tall nonsense, Patrick, Morton, Ken etc.
But I'm happy to see this was just about her children and their memories of her without any of the digs against other members of their family.
 
Would you have said that the funeral should have been private if she were still an HRH ? Probably not. Tony Blair was right: Diana was officially no longer a member of the RF and the Queen may have stripped her of her title and rank, but, in the eyes of the public, she was still a senior royal and, as such, a public funeral was appropriate.
<b>Just a reminder that this thread is to discuss the television programme and that the http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...er-from-france-funeral-and-interment-787.html is the place to discuss Diana's funeral.</b>
 
They were in public what would you expect them to do? Hiss at each other.


I have two words for you...KOREAN TOUR.:whistling:

I remember being dismayed and fascinated by the very overt hostility that seemed to jump off the screen between the two during the Wales final tour in late 1992...the so called Togetherness Tour.

A couple of other very sad memories occurred in the couples' body language when the PoW was released from hospital after breaking his arm at polo(1991?), and when Diana's father Lord Spencer died and they were on the way back from a ski trip. Diana could barely look at him, the resentment seemed palpable.

And Charles looked miserable beyond words in her company each time.:sad:
 
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Imo William and Harry weren't nearly dressed as horribly as George is now. I really don't like Earl Spencer so I skipped anything he had to say.
 
The media must realize by now that they will always be seen as the enemy by those boys. William was very very clear about keeping them out ...no guessing there. He must of been terrified and very angry when that situation went on with Kate in France and then with George and the media trying to lure him out.

And yet they had Jane Fincher, photographer, on the programme. Jane was part of the media following Diana, but she always was respectful and clear on the division of taking pictures in public, and the paparazzi taking pictures in private.

I enjoyed hearing from people who really knew Diana as a friend, not those hangers-on who are on every other programme about her. I liked the gardener.

Harry is definitely more informal; he says, "My Mum..." whilst William appears to stick to, "My mother..." Nothing wrong with that, everyone's different. But it certainly shows up the generational gap when referring back to Prince Charles talking about his "darling Mama". So much has changed in the Royal world for children born in the 1940s and those this century (except, perhaps, the clothes!)
 
Well. I was kind of disappointed in the YouTube link of this program. Seems like it started out nicely in closed captioning but quickly fizzled out. Perhaps they're still working on those? I'll check back from time to time.

I did, however watch the entire documentary and you could tangibly feel the love those two boys have for their mother. She was a "big kid" at heart. She was fun. She also made the boys very aware that there was life outside the palace walls.

I think the most touching part of the whole thing were those two brothers that were affected by land mines and the resolve that Diana inspired to carry on. The one stood there and said "Today there are no land mines here but Diana isn't to see it. This is Diana's legacy" (paraphrased). Then he visibly wept. That hit home to me that it was Diana at her best.

Overall, it will be a wonderful collection of footage for George and Charlotte and any kids that Harry may have to grow up with and get to *know* "Granny Diana".
 
I thought the documentary was well done. I expected it would be since I think William, in particular, would never agree to be a part of anything that crossed the line into schmaltzy, self indulgent territory.

A couple of thoughts:

I don't know about Harry, but I don't think William sees the press as the enemy at all. When he mentions things like setting boundaries for his children, etc his frame of reference is the media free for all that made up part of his childhood and early adolescence. Of course he doesn't want that to be repeated, (hopefully none of us do), but he and Kate have already been relatively open in talking to various media about the causes they're involved in, in bringing the children to various events and allowing them to be photographed, in releasing birthday pictures, in participating in things like this documentary. I don't think William has any problem engaging with a press that respects his family's right to a certain degree of privacy.

I agree William is definitely more formal than Harry. Given their respective positions that's probably not surprising.

I'm glad that George and Charlotte, and any children Harry might have, will be able to see this show. Diana was far from perfect but I think, whatever faults she had, she would have been a wonderful grandmother and would have found a great deal of joy in the children. It's incredibly sad she didn't get that chance.
 
Well, I didn't plan on watching the documentary but I am glad I did. What a beautiful tribute to their mother!

I loved hearing from her friends, those who worked with her [particularly those gentlemen involved in the land mine campaign] and her brother. Honestly, I am not surprised that her sisters were not involved. First, they don't seek publicity [yes, I am looking at your Earl Spencer] but most importantly, I think because they {Charles and Diana} were closer in age, he would have more memories of her childhood than Jane and Sarah. And really, that was the Earl's purpose, to talk about her early years...you don't really see him talking about anything after the wedding.

It was a lovely tribute.....you can certainly feel the love and loss that they have for their mother.
 
&quot;Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy&quot; HBO and ITV

This would not have been an easy documentary to make - I applaud William and Harry, and the team who worked with them, for a programme that is interesting and informative with no hints of blame or hidden agendas. This programme managed to tread a difficult path in reflecting Diana as a mother and as a Royal figure, without involving Charles, yet achieving a film that would not be likely to offend or cause unnecessary hurt to their father and stepmother. Yet it isn't a bland film, there are frank remarks about a childhood spent "toing and froing " between parents and the frequent necessary phone calls this resulted in, but neither is it some uninhibited outpouring of loss. At a time when biographies and documentaries about famous people are filled with titilation and endless speculation, this was a lesson in restraint and integrity.
 
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I had to laugh with Harry's remarks about how Diana dressed them up in 'bizarre outfits with weird shorts and shiny shoes' and he 'won't be dressing his kids like that'.
Well, clearly his brother and sister-in-law have a different opinion.
 
Actually Harry said he would dress his kids the same way.



LaRae
 
Yup. Harry said you know I'll be dressing my kids the same way.
 
Yes, and said it with a huge grin on his face!
 
Well, I wasn't going to watch this program, but after reading all the comments I am going to do so. I am encouraged that the consensus is that it is well done. Thank you, Dman, for posting it.
 
Actually Harry said he would dress his kids the same way.



LaRae



Really? I misunderstood then. Or maybe it was wishfull thinking on my part.
 
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