‘Secret tapes’ recorded by Princess Diana to be launched after Earl Spencer’s Charles claims
The tapes were previously used for a best-selling book in 1992, but have been released to a production company in their entirety for the first time to produce a documentary
Princess Diana died in 1997 at a tragically early age(Image: Getty)
Previously unheard tapes recorded by Princess Diana are to be released and could expose the truth on claims made by her brother, Earl Spencer, on King Charles. A new documentary about the former Princess of Wales is set to be released next year, the 30th anniversary of her untimely death.
‘Diana Unheard’ is based on secret audio recordings made by the Princess.
They were passed to journalist Andrew Morton to write the 1992 bestseller, ‘Diana: Her True Story’. The same clips now form the basis for a three-part documentary produced by Love Monday TV.
Its producers have told the Deadline the tapes “cover some of the ground explored by her brother, Earl Spencer, in his recent book Swan Song,” paving the way for more context to come out over his claims.
Diana’s brother has been in a war of words with Buckingham Palace after claiming King Charles said “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough” following Diana’s sudden death in a Paris car crash in August 1997.
Copies of Earl Spencer’s book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister at Waterstones in Brighton(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
In a statement released last month, the Palace responded, saying: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
However, Love Monday’s Kerene Barefield said the motivation behind the new series was not to settle old scores, but to “give Diana a voice”.
She added: “The media always gave us this tragedy that Diana was sad and lonely, and she was manipulated.
“These tapes don’t tell that story at all. They tell a story of an incredibly brave woman who had agency and knew what she wanted and how she was going to get to it.”
Diana and Charles pictured on their engagement(Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
It is thought to be the first time one organisation has been given access to the entire archive of tapes in one go, and Ms Barefield said they reveal Diana’s human qualities.
She explained: “One of the things I loved when I first heard the tapes was just hearing her laughter. In the middle episode, we go back to her childhood. There’s all this stuff that you wouldn’t expect and I think it shows that she had that agency and that kind of drive from a very young age.”
Prince Harry is also set to mark Diana’s death by reportedly producing a documentary, but no official announcement has been made by the Duke of Sussex.
