Kevin Costner Claims Princess Diana ‘Fancied’ Him, And Would Have Starred In Bodyguard Sequel

Posted on 22/06/2024 by Boris Clair

Kevin Costner never got to act alongside Princess Diana in a planned sequel to The Bodyguard, but he nonetheless has fond memories of his brief professional encounter with the late British royal.

In a wide-ranging interview on The Howard Stern Show this week, Kevin recalled approaching Diana about a potential role in a followup to the 1992 romantic drama, in which he’d starred opposite Whitney Houston.

He also credited Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, with connecting them sometime around 1996.

The project was shelved shelved in the wake of Diana’s death in a car crash in 1997, at the age of 36.

“I never made that movie because I could not replace Princess Di,” Kevin explained.

As for plot specifics, the movie would’ve taken place at least partly in Hong Kong and, in a case of art imitating life, would’ve depicted Diana’s break from the British royal family.

Watch Kevin Costner discuss Princess Diana and The Bodyguard below:

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At some point in their discussions, Diana – who would’ve been making her screen acting debut in the film – made a very specific request, Kevin recalled.

“She said, ‘Is there going to be a kissing scene?’ And I said, ‘Do you want there to be one?’ And she said, ‘Yeah,’” he claimed. “And I said, ‘Then we’ll do that.’”

The original Bodyguard follows actor and singer Rachel Marron (played by Whitney), who hires a former Secret Service agent, Frank Farmer (Costner), after receiving death threats from an unknown stalker.

At first, the straight-laced Frank has no patience for Rachel’s diva antics. But the pair eventually fall in love ― and their budding romance puts both of their lives in danger.

The Bodyguard soundtrack featured Whitney’s stirring remake of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You, as well as the hits I Have Nothing and I’m Every Woman. It remains the bestselling movie album of all time.

Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner at the Los Angeles premiere of The Bodyguard in 1992.

It’s unclear whether Diana would’ve been playing the film’s romantic lead, as Whitney did in the original. In his chat with Howard Stern, Kevin alluded to an unnamed Asian actor who was being considered as a love interest for his character.

Elsewhere in the interview, Kevin also opened up about an encounter he’d had with Prince William years later.

“He looked at me and he said, ‘My mum fancied you,’” he said. “It was the sweetest, gentlest thing.”

Kevin first opened up about his long-defunct Bodyguard sequel plans in a 2012 chat with Anderson Cooper. The Howard Stern interview, however, appears to be the first time he’s shared much about the plot ― as well as his potential co-star’s alleged crush.

Though the Bodyguard sequel never saw the light of day, plans for a remake of the original film were announced in 2021. Matthew López, who made his directorial debut last year with the gay romantic comedy Red, White & Royal Blue, is attached to write the screenplay, with Cardi B previously tipped for the main role.

Here’s Everything Fans Of The Crown Need To Know About The Sixth And Final Season

Posted on 11/11/2023 by Boris Clair

The first half of The Crown’s final series will be arriving on our screens within a matter of days, marking the royal Netflix drama’s penultimate outing.

After seven years, and three casts of actors taking on the monumental roles of Queen Elizabeth II and her family, season six of the Emmy-winning drama is set to include some of the most significant moments in royal history.

Most notably, it will cover the death of Princess Diana and its aftermath, before Kate Middleton will be introduced to the series for the first time as the show crosses into the 21st century.

Here’s everything we know about the final season of the award-winning show…

What is season six about?

Season six will pick back up with Diana and Prince Charles, after they’ve spent their first summer apart as a divorced couple, showing both parties on their respective holidays with sons Prince William and Prince Harry.

“I don’t really understand how I ended up here. Dashing around, and losing sight of myself in the process,” Diana says in the trailer’s voiceover. “You know I think that’s been the story of my whole life.”

Elizabeth Debicki plays Princess Diana in her final days in the new season of The Crown

“We’re very much in the beginning of the Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed story,” said executive producer Suzanne Mackie.

“From the second she steps onto that boat and [you begin to see] some of those iconic images of her on the yacht, it does take you immediately to the whirlwind that was the press speculation around that romance.”

Season six will cover the period leading up to Diana’s death along with the aftermath and long-term impact of her passing.

The trailer includes a clip of the so-called “people’s princess” reassuring her young sons that she is doing well, before receiving an invitation to Paris, the city where she tragically died in a car accident in 1997 after being chased by paparazzi.

Season six will later go on to explore the early years of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s romance – played by newcomers Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy, respectively – after they meet at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

Netflix has previously revealed that the 2005 wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles will also be covered in season six. It will not, however, go as far as depicting the weddings of either Prince William and Kate Middleton or Prince Harry and Megan Markle.

Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton and Ed McVey as Prince William

How does The Crown plan to handle Princess Diana’s death?

There was understandably a lot of press speculation about how exactly Princess Diana’s tragic death would be approached.

The main thing to note is that the car crash that killed Diana alongside her then-boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed and their driver Henri Paul, will not be portrayed on screen.

A source previously told Deadline: “It’s the run-up: the car leaving The Ritz after midnight with paparazzi in pursuit and then the aftermath with the British Ambassador to France swinging into action with the Foreign Office and then the subsequent constitutional aftermath.”

Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Salim Daw as Mohamed al-Fayed

The Crown creator Peter Morgan insisted that they would “never” show the crash itself, and recently addressed rumours of Princess Diana appearing as a ghost in the upcoming season. The Daily Mail revealed that a ghost would emerge before a grieving Prince Charles as well as Queen Elizabeth, but Peter has since said that Diana deserved “special treatment” in her depiction. “I never imagined it as Diana’s ‘ghost’ in the traditional sense,” he told Variety .

“It was her continuing to live vividly in the minds of those she has left behind. Diana was unique, and I suppose that’s what inspired me to find a unique way of representing her. She deserved special treatment narratively,” he added.

Producer Suzanne has also previously assured concerned viewers that the handling of Diana’s death will be “sensitive” and “thoughtful”. Elizabeth Debicki, who took over the role of Diana for season five, opened up herself about this aspect of the series, sharing: “For me, one of the things that felt so important – because we know where the story is going – is to make sure that there was real joy and happiness and lightness and genuine fun on the screen.

“That was really the piece I felt that I could control in a way, and that became a real focus.”

Who stars in it?

Imelda Staunton is returning as Queen Elizabeth alongside Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip. Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West will also be reprising their roles as the now divorced as Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Bertie Carvel will also be back as Prime Minister Tony Blair.

New cast members include Rufus Kampa playing Prince William in his early teen years and Fflyn Edwards as a young Prince Harry.

Other returning cast members include Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed and Salim Daw as Mohamed al-Fayed.

A first look at Prince William (Ed McVey) and Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy) from the sixth and final season of The Crown, coming 2023. pic.twitter.com/hputORVqGt

— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) April 27, 2023

How many episodes are there?

There are two parts to season six of The Crown, which consists of 10 episodes total.

Part one is made up of the first four episodes, while the remaining six are included in Part Two. The titles of the first four episodes have already been revealed: Persona Non Grata, Two Photographs, Dis-Moi Oui and Aftermath.

When is it out?

All four episodes in Part One come out Thursday 16 November, before the remaining Part Two episodes drop just shy of a month later, on Thursday 14 December.

Is there a trailer?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for part one below. A selection of first-look pictures have also been released.

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Seasons one to five of The Crown are streaming on Netflix now.

The Crown Bosses Respond To Speculation About How Princess Diana’s Death Will Be Depicted

Posted on 25/08/2023 by Boris Clair

The team behind The Crown has spoken out about how the award-winning Netflix drama will cover the death of Princess Diana.

Ahead of the sixth and final season later this year, there’s been plenty of conversation both in the media and among fans about how Diana’s death will be handled in the show.

Last year, Netflix was forced to shut down reports in Deadline that the crew had been “on edge” while filming scenes of Diana’s fatal car accident in Paris, with a spokesperson insisting that the “exact moment of the crash impact will not be shown”.

The conversation then reignited in March when the Daily Mail reported that The Crown had recreated the aftermath of the crash, and published photos of a wrecked Mercedes that will supposedly be used in the show’s final season.

During a discussion at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday, The Crown’s executive producer Suzanne Mackie insisted (via Metro): “The show might be big and noisy, but we’re not. We’re thoughtful people and we’re sensitive people.

“There were very careful, long conversations about how we were going to do it.”

She continued: “The audience will judge it in the end, but I think it’s been delicately, thoughtfully recreated.

“Elizabeth Debicki is an extraordinary actress and she was so thoughtful and considerate. She loved Diana. There’s a huge amount of respect from us all, I hope that’s evident.”

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly last year, Elizabeth Debicki admitted she was unaware of the “concerns”, adding: “I’ll say that Peter [Morgan, The Crown’s creator] and the entire crew of this job do their utmost to really handle everything with such sensitivity and truth and complexity, as do actors.

“The amount of research and care and conversations and dialogue that happen over, from a viewer’s perspective, something probably that you would never ever notice is just immense.

“From that very first meeting [with] Peter, I knew that I’d entered into this space where this was taken seriously [in] a deeply caring way. So that’s my experience of the show.”

Elizabeth Debicki joined The Crown for its fifth season, which aired last year

Since its debut, The Crown has been met with criticism from some viewers due to its fictionalised depiction of 20th century history.

However, as the events portrayed in The Crown have come closer to the present day, these discussions have become louder, with many calling for a disclaimer to be added to the Netflix show highlighting that it is not always historically accurate.

Netflix eventually added one to the season five trailer, but not the show itself, saying at the time: “The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events.

“Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the Royal Family — one that has been scrutinised and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians.”

The Crown is expected to return for its sixth season in November.

Princess Diana’s Revenge Dress Was Almost An Entirely Different Colour And Vibe

Posted on 02/03/2023 by Boris Clair

If anyone utters the words Princess Diana, you know her iconic revenge dress will come up in conversation. You cannot talk about the late princess without talking about the picture of her walking out of that car in that black Christina Sambolian dress.

The moment was also recreated in the fifth season of The Crown, with Elizabeth Debicki emulating the late royal.

The dress was dubbed the revenge dress because of the fact that she chose to wear it on the day the then-Prince Charles admitted to having an affair with his now-wife Camila Parker Bowles on national television.

But as it turns out, the iconic revenge dress was actually supposed to be white in colour.

The designer recalled her interaction with the late Princess and how the dress came to be in the new book Diana: A Life in Dresses by ACC Art Books.

“It was 2 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon in September,” Christina Sambolian recalled in the book, “I thought that the woman looked familiar. We all laughed when we realised it really was her.”

After the princess shopped at her store, she told the designer: “I want a special dress for a special occasion. It doesn’t matter if it is short or long. It has to be something special.”

The original sketch of the 'revenge dress' — The original sketch of the ‘revenge dress’

Sambolian then drew a few sketches on a piece of paper. The dress was revealing, quite short and showed some skin.

Diana was not sure about it and thought it was a bit risky, recalls the designer.

“I said: “Why not be daring?” But she wanted everything more covered up, longer and the neck higher. The dress was brave and revealing,” she recalled.

”Finally, she said yes to the style – then we moved on to the colour. I had black in my mind, but she wanted cream,” said Sambolian.

“To me, Diana was a black and white sort of person. That was the way she was – there were no grey areas. I thought of black for the colour. I thought of her in a sophisticated way. I didn’t like her in the pale pinks and blues with lots of beading,” she added.

It took two dressmakers more than 60 hours to make the dress. For three years, Diana did not wear the dress. The designer had lost hope that her dress would ever be worn by the Princess.

“Three years went by and she hadn’t worn it,” she said. “I was very disappointed. Then I realised she had been waiting for the right occasion. She looked like a beautiful black bird in it.”

But then that fateful day came when Diana had to attend the Serpentine Ball. She had originally planned to wear a Valentino gown to the event. But when she found out that Valentino had rung up the media, telling them that the Princess would be wearing the brand’s dress to the Ball, she was furious.

So she decided to go with the now iconic black dress she will always be remembered for.

And there you have it. That is how the revenge dress was born, which would be emulated by many, many people for decades and generations to come.

You can purchase the book for yourself here.

Royal Rebrands Are A Thing. Has Charles Already Started His?

Posted on 14/09/2022 by Boris Clair

King Charles III has been in the spotlight for his entire life – but is he due a rebrand now he’s head of state?

Until September 8, Charles was the world’s longest serving heir, having been the first-in-line to the throne since 1952. That’s 70 years – his mother was crowned when he was just three years old.

However, during that time the royal has had a rather tumultuous relationship with the public. Perhaps, as he transitions into his new role as sovereign, Charles is looking to rejuvenate his image too.

But, why would he need a rebrand?

The King has faced a great deal of scrutiny over the years, and his public persona has not always emerged intact.

In 1994, he indirectly insulted his own parents by telling interviewer Jonathan Dimbleby they were not supportive throughout his childhood, prompting pundits to speculate about a royal rift – and that Charles had overshared.

During this same period, Charles’ reputation was on the line due to his declining relationship with his first wife, Princess Diana.

Not only was she seen as the “People’s Princess” and more popular than him, their tense separation in 1992 and her subsequent death in a car crash in 1997, led to an outpouring of grief – and many people turning against the royals in rebellion.

Charles’ affair with his current wife, the Queen consort, then known as Camilla Parker-Bowles, through part of his marriage to Diana was highly publicised. Camilla was also married during their affair, pushing more of the public to side with Diana, then Princess of Wales.

While Charles and Camilla have been happily married since 2005, the popular Netflix series The Crown has been raking up the entire history of the Queen’s reign for the past few years, with a fair amount of artistic license, too.

This has caused renewed anger among younger generations who may not have experienced the tension between Charles and his parents, and his ex-wife, the first time around.

Further questions over the future of the royal family under Charles’ hand emerged when his second son Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle announced they would be leaving ‘The Firm’. The Sussexes have since indicated a rift still exists between them and the new King.

Charles, too, has been criticised for “meddling” in politics and supposedly lobbying politicians after his “black spider memos” were revealed by the Guardian in 2015. This was particularly worrying for many Palace staff, because Charles is part of the constitutional monarchy – he is meant to be apolitical.

Has he already started the rebrand?

Yes. It seems that just days into his reign, Charles was already trying to shake off some of the more “stuffy” imagery, and stiff upper lip attitude often associated with the crown as he ushers in his own reign at King.

As soon as he returned to London after being by the Queen’s side during her death, he jumped out of the car and started greeting the crowds outside Buckingham Palace.

During the unscheduled walkabout, he shook hands with well-wishers and was even kissed on the cheek by one member of the public.

He referred to his mother as “Darling Mama” in his first official address to the nation on Friday, in an unexpected emotional turn, and he has since said: “I was very lucky to have her as my mother.”

He also explained he was passing the Queen Consort title on to Camilla because of her loyal service to the country over the last 17 years, tacitly acknowledging their complicated past.

He indicated the Duchess of Cambridge would become the Princess of Wales – a title not used in public since Diana was alive – and extended his love to Harry and Meghan in his speech, in a bid to provide the sense of a more united monarchy.

It’s worth noting that in the same speech, Charles indicated that it was time for “change”, and suggested he is going to be leaving all his passion projects behind as he adapts to life as sovereign.

“My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities,” he said on Saturday. “It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.”

Is it working?

Well, to an extent. A YouGov poll published on Tuesday shows people already have more faith in him than before he inherited the throne.

In May, it was a pretty even split between those who thought he would do a bad job and those who thought he would do a good job as monarch, at around 30% on either side.

In fact, ever since July 2019, approximately 30% of respondents did not believe in the monarch’s future on the throne – up until now.

New polling has found 63% of respondents believe Charles will make a good King.

But, as ever, the support is not unanimous.

Those on social media have been more critical, with two separate clips showing Charles losing his temper over pens in the last few days going viral.

When visiting Hillsborough in Northern Ireland on Tuesday, the King signed the estates’ visitors’ book and became infuriated when he found his pen was leaking.

He was caught on camera saying: “I can’t bear this bloody thing!”

A similar incident unfolded during the Accession Council on Saturday, when he was seen shooing staff to clear his desk while he signed his proclamation.

It’s probably too early to tell, but it’s certainly going to be an uphill battle to earn the same reputation his mother had.

As YouGov noted at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Queen has maintained a positive view with around 70% of the population for at least the last decade.

“I can’t bear this bloody thing!”: King Charles’ signing ceremony at Northern Ireland’s Hillsborough Castle made one thing clear – even royalty can’t escape the frustration of an inadequate pen. pic.twitter.com/nzygNTLslX

— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 13, 2022

Other successful royal reinventions

What makes it likely that he will get a rebrand anyway? Well, royals have done it before. Quite often, in fact.

Camilla’s is probably the most remarkable. As Charles’ first love, she was deeply unpopular for her affair with Charles throughout his first marriage and the scandalous rumours that leaked about their relationship certainly did not help.

After Diana’s death, Charles even tried to keep his relationship with Camilla out of the public eye, to avoid further scrutiny.

Even when they wed, she chose not to take the title Princess of Wales, despite it technically being her moniker as the official wife to the Prince of Wales from 2005 onwards.

However, over the years she had reshaped her image completely. This became clear when the Queen confirmed that it was her “sincere wish” for Camilla to take the much-disputed title of Queen consort earlier this year – a step away from tradition, considering both Charles and Camilla have been divorced.

It was also a title that many still associated with Diana.

Camilla Parker attending an event as president of the National Osteoporosis Society.

The Queen also rebranded throughout her reign. When she first became monarch after her father’s abrupt death in 1952, she suddenly had to prove herself, not only as the first female monarch since Queen Victoria, but as a 25-year-old sovereign.

Famously, she reinvented herself again after Diana’s death – even if some felt her hand was forced. The occasion saw a huge slump in the royal’s popularity, with the public looking unfavourably on the Queen for not welcoming the princess wholeheartedly (in their eyes) into the royal fold.

Since then, she has became the Queen’s “grandmother” instead, appearing much warmer in her public appearances and being seen as a reassuring face during times of crisis – especially during the Covid pandemic.

Princess Diana, too, changed her image from a shy teenager when she first met Charles, to the most fashionable member of the royal family, and keen humanitarian.

After her divorce, she adopted another new persona, taking more fashion risks than she could have as a working royal and standing up for more controversial causes such as joining the campaign to eradicate all landmines in Angola.

Lady Diana Spencer in 1980 (left) and Diana in 1995 when she was Diana, Princess of Wales

Elton John Remembers Princess Diana On 25th Anniversary Of Her Death

Posted on 31/08/2022 by Boris Clair

Sir Elton John has paid tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, on the 25th anniversary of her death.

The singer was close friends with the princess prior to her death in August 1997, when she was killed in a car crash in Paris.

Elton reworked his hit song Candle In The Wind to perform at her funeral, which was subsequently released and became the biggest-selling single in UK chart history up to that date.

On Wednesday, Elton posted a picture of himself with Diana on Instagram.

“You will always be missed,” he wrote.

The pair’s friendship is said to have begun after Elton was reportedly hired to perform at Prince Andrew’s 21st birthday celebrations in 1981.

They were said to have bonded while dancing to the Charleston together on the dancefloor.

Elton performing a rewritten version of his song Candle In The Wind as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, at her funeral

Elton and Diana went on to work together helping to raise awareness of AIDS.

In 2018, Elton praised Diana for helping to smash stigma surrounding the disease when she publicly shook hands with a patient in 1987.

“One simple handshake, one gesture showed the world the desperate need for humanity for people living with AIDS,” he said.

“She knew the disease could not be communicated by hand. Her gesture meant nobody should be left behind. She did not distinguish between ‘us’ and ‘them’.”

Speaking at a Princess of Wales memorial lecture, he added: “I like to think she would be proud and astonished if she could see the progress that has been made since she left us.”

Elton has regularly supported Diana’s sons William and Harry over the years and attended both their royal weddings alongside his husband, David Furnish.

Jeff Goldblum’s Tale About Sitting Next To ‘Spectacular’ Princess Diana At Early Jurassic Park Screening Is All Kinds Of Iconic

Posted on 07/06/2022 by Boris Clair

Jeff Goldblum has recalled the time he shared popcorn with Princess Diana at a special screening of the first Jurassic Park film, almost 30 years ago.

Although he didn’t reveal if the treat was salty or sweet, the actor did describe Diana as a “spectacular lady” after they were seated next to one another at the showing at London’s Natural History Museum.

The Hollywood star was joined by his fellow cast members including Sam Neill and Richard Attenborough at the event in 1993.

Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997) attends the premiere of the Steven Spielberg film 'Jurassic Park' in London, 15th July 1993. From left to right, she is meeting star Ariana Richards, director Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, and stars Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough. (Photo by Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images) — Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997) attends the premiere of the Steven Spielberg film ‘Jurassic Park’ in London, 15th July 1993. From left to right, she is meeting star Ariana Richards, director Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, and stars Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough. (Photo by Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

Recalling the premiere of Jurassic Park, he told Entertainment Tonight: “I’m remembering London.

“We showed it to – speaking of the Jubilee, the Platinum Jubilee – we showed it to Princess Diana and we had a kind of a royal screening.

“Sam Neil was here, Princess Diana was here, you know, and we showed them the movie.”

“I was standing there next to Diana… sitting, with popcorn.

He added: “I was very much a gentleman and she was a spectacular lady.”

Jeff isn’t the only star who has memories of sitting next to Diana at a film premiere.

Michael J Fox found himself in just that situation back in 1985, when Diana plonked herself down next to him at the world premiere of his movie, Back To The Future.

But instead of pinching himself, all the then-24-year-old Michael could do was cross his legs.

“She was sitting next to me. The lights go down and the movie starts and I realise I am one fake yawn and an arm stretch away from being on a date with her, which is hilarious,” Michael recalled.

“The movie started and also I had to go pee. So for the rest of the movie, I’m sitting there like dying. I can’t say anything to her and I can’t walk away from her because I can’t turn my back on her.”

The star added: “So it was just agony. What could have been the greatest night of my life was a nightmare. A pee-holding nightmare.”

Jemima Khan Says She Stopped Working On The Crown Due To Depiction Of Princess Diana

Posted on 07/11/2021 by Boris Clair

Anwar Hussein via Getty Images

Princess Diana and Jemima Khan in Pakistan together in 1996

Screenwriter and journalist Jemima Khan has revealed she stopped working on the behind-the-scenes team of The Crown over concerns about its depiction of Princess Diana.

Jemima – who knew Princess Diana personally – was invited by the Netflix drama’s creator Peter Morgan to help pen its forthcoming fifth season, which will depict the late Princess of Wales’ final years.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, she noted that it was “really important to me that the final years of my friend’s life be portrayed accurately and with compassion, as has not always happened in the past”.

She explained: “In 2019, Peter Morgan asked me to co-write on the fifth series of The Crown, particularly those episodes which concerned Princess Diana’s last years before she died.

“After a great deal of thought, having never spoken publicly about any of this before, I decided to contribute.”

However, after working on The Crown for around five months, Jemima noted that she eventually “realised that particular storyline would not necessarily be told as respectfully or compassionately as I had hoped” and bowed out.

Anwar Hussein via Getty Images

Jemima Khan had concerns about how Diana will be portrayed in the upcoming season of The Crown

“[I] requested that all my contributions be removed from the series and I declined a credit,” she added.

A spokesperson for The Crown said (via the Standard): “Jemima Khan has been a friend, fan and a vocal public supporter of The Crown since season one.

“She has been part of a wide network of well-informed and varied sources who have provided extensive background information to our writers and research team — providing context for the drama that is The Crown. She has never been contracted as a writer on the series.”

Elizabeth Debicki will be playing Princess Diana in the upcoming fifth season of The Crown, taking over from Emma Corrin, who won a Golden Globe for their performance in the role earlier this year.

Netflix

Elizabeth Debicki in character as Princess Diana

Davina McCall Deletes Tweet About ‘Stiff’ Princess Diana Statue After Agreeing With Piers Morgan Over Sculpture

Posted on 03/07/2021 by Boris Clair

Davina McCall appeared to backtrack after criticising the recently unveiled statue of Princess Diana, which she had described as “stiff”.

The sculpture, created by Ian Rank-Broadley, was unveiled by Princes William and Harry at the Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace on Thursday.

After Piers Morgan tweeted his dislike of the statue, Davina agreed, tweeting: “I really wanted to like it. But somehow… it doesn’t feel very Diana? Her joie de vivre… her radiance, her compassion. It feels stiff.”

Davina has since deleted the tweet, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by Piers.

“Bullied & abused by the woke #BeKind brigade into deleting an honestly-held and entirely accurate opinion. Suffice it to say, I won’t be deleting my statue critique – because it’s true,” he tweeted on Saturday.

Bullied & abused by the woke #BeKind brigade into deleting an honestly-held and entirely accurate opinion. Suffice it to say, I won’t be deleting my statue critique – because it’s true. https://t.co/GwnWV5vTGR

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 3, 2021

Davina and Piers aren’t the only stars who are not fans of the tribute to the late Princess of Wales.

Lorraine Kelly has also let her feelings known, saying she believed it didn’t do Diana “justice”.

“Can I just say, I don’t really like it,” Lorraine said on her daytime show on Friday..

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you think, but I don’t really like the outfit.”

Lorraine said that she liked the “strength” that the statue gives off, as the late princess “looks very strong”, but added: “I just don’t think it does her justice.

“Of course, it was all about the boys and if they’re happy, then that’s fine,’ Lorraine said of William and Harry.

“Maybe it looks better in real life. I have to reserve judgement until I can see it for myself.”

The bronze statue shows Diana surrounded by three children and is said to be based on the final period of her life as she gained confidence in her role as a humanitarian ambassador.

It aims to convey “her character and compassion”, Kensington Palace said.

A statue of Diana, Princess of Wales in the sunken garden at Kensington Palace.

William and Harry said in a joint statement on the day: “Today, on what would have been our mother’s 60 birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better.

“Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy.”

Princess Diana Musical Coming To Netflix Ahead Of Broadway Return

Posted on 30/03/2021 by Boris Clair

A new musical based on the life of Princess Diana is coming to Netflix later this year, it has been confirmed.

The stage production, titled simply Diana, began preview performances on Broadway in March 2020, but was shut down after just nine shows when theatres closed due to the pandemic.

Producers of Diana have now announced plans for the musical to reopen in December, but before that, the whole world will have the opportunity to watch it on Netflix.

A filmed version of the show, recorded in September, is set to debut on the streaming platform on 1 October, two months before its return to Broadway.

Evan Zimmerman/Matthew Murphy

Broadway performer Jeanna de Waal as Princess Diana

Frank Marshall, one of Diana’s producers, told the New York Times: “I think people will see the movie and will say, that’s a show I want to see in person.”

Beth Williams, another of its leading producers, added: “We feel like it’s an incredible opportunity to put Diana in front of the global Netflix audience, and then give them an opportunity to see it live.”

Diana features Broadway performer Jeanna de Waal in the title role, while Roe Hartrampf and Erin Davie play Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles, respectively.

Judy Kaye – who won a Tony Award for her performance in Phantom Of The Opera – also appears as Queen Elizabeth II.

HuffPost UK has contacted Netflix for clarification on whether the Diana musical will also be streaming in the UK.

Tim Graham via Getty Images

Princess Diana pictured in 1995

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