Though she was born on July 1, 1961 and died on Aug. 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, reigns over November 2021.
First, “Season Four” of “The Crown” has just been released on DVD. With a brilliant cast that shows us the pain, destructiveness and tragedy of people who want to be loved but cannot express it, “The Crown” gives us a devastating Emma Corrin as the young Diana – a naïve, romantic girl who nonetheless will not back down in her quest for love. She’s matched by Josh O’Connor’s complex Prince Charles, a man who like his wife needs to be loved but unlike her cannot seem to locate his suffering in that of others.
Next up, we have the just-released “Spencer,” in which director Pablo Larrain does for the Princess of Wales what he did for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in “Jackie”: He imagines a goddess at a tipping point. In “Spencer” – the princess’ maiden name and one whose long, strong, aristocratic lineage, more British than the royal family, she often reminded herself of in times of crisis – Larrain and writer Stephen Knight place the princess in 1991 at Sandringham, where the royals gather for Christmas, as the fate of her marriage hangs in the balance. Kristen Stewart is (ADD GRAPH HERE).
Also just out – what a week – “Diana: the Musical,” at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre at least through Jan. 2. And possibly longer: The show was savaged by critics when it was Netflixed, but New York audiences are giving it roses, standing ovations and good word of mouth. One Diana buff told us the songs and cast are good – the creators are New Jersey’s Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, with Jeanna de Waal as the princess – and it gets the job done.
Still not enough? Season Five of “The Crown” is now filming, with Elizabeth Debicki taking the princess to her tragic end.
Our love affair with an icon continues.
