Photos show how Princess Diana's funeral was portrayed on 'The Crown' compared to real life
Eve Crosbie
- Part One of "The Crown" season six ends with the funeral of Princess Diana.
- She died in 1997 in a car crash. Her unexpected death brought the world to a standstill.
The tragic and sudden death of Princess Diana and the public's response to it changed everything for the royal family.
So it's no surprise that "The Crown" season six spends its first three episodes depicting the events that led up to the car crash that claimed her life at the age of 36 in 1997.
The fourth episode focuses on the aftermath, including how the unprecedented outpouring of public grief persuaded the Queen to go against protocol in more ways than one.
Unsurprisingly, the televised memorial that took place a week after her passing on September 6, 1997, was watched by 2.5 billion people worldwide, according to History.com.
Here's how "The Crown" depicts Diana's funeral and the surrounding events — and what they looked like in real life.
In "The Crown," Queen Elizabeth II is shown bowing to public pressure after initially expressing reluctance to treat Diana's death as a royal death.
As depicted in episode four of season six, the Queen saw no reason to follow protocol for a royal death abroad in Diana's case because she was no longer officially HRH when she died, having given up her title upon her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996.
The Queen also faced criticism from the public and the press for not traveling down from Balmoral in Scotland to Buckingham Palace in London immediately after the tragedy.
As "The Crown" shows, the Queen addressed the nation in a television broadcast where she expressed grief over Diana's death.
Although they were scheduled to arrive in London the day before the funeral procession, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh moved their travel date by a day, allowing them to speak to mourners paying their respects, according to The New York Times.
As "The Crown" shows, the Queen addressed the nation in a television broadcast where she expressed grief over Diana's death.
The Queen (Imelda Staunton) is shown delivering a speech after returning to Buckingham Palace.
"The Crown" shows how Diana's coffin was carried through the streets of London on the day of her funeral.
Placed on top of the coffin is a letter addressed to "Mummy," which viewers see Prince Harry (Fflyn Edwards) writing earlier in the episode.
This is accurate. The funeral procession lasted just under two hours and concluded at Westminster Abbey.
Westminster Abbey has held many royal funerals and memorials in recent memory, including that of the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Prince Philip, and, most recently, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022 at the age of 96 after a record-breaking 70-year reign.
William and Harry are shown walking behind the coffin alongside their father, then Prince Charles, their uncle, Charles Spencer, and grandfather, Prince Philip.
"The Crown" recreates one of the most enduring images from Diana's funeral.
This really did happen and the decision to make the Princes, then only 15 and 12 years old, do so was a topic of contention.
In the 2017 BBC documentary "Diana, 7 Days," William discussed the matter, explaining that it was not an "easy decision" but one the family made together.
"We were overwhelmed by how many people turned out, it was just incredible. There was that balance between duty and family and that's what we had to do," he said.
Harry added: "I think it was a group decision. But before I knew it, I found myself with a suit on with a black tie and a white shirt, I think, and I was part of it. Genuinely, I don't have an opinion on whether that was right or wrong. I am glad I was part of it. Looking back on it now, I am very glad I was part of it."
Elsewhere in the episode, Mohammed Al-Fayed is shown unveiling a special tribute to Diana and his son, Dodi Fayed, in the windows of Harrods.
Dodi, who died alongside Diana in the car crash, was laid to rest in a private Islamic ceremony. According to a BBC report, his body was taken to Regent's Park Mosque before being buried at a Muslim cemetery in Woking.
Portraits of the two were placed in the window, but not until almost a month later.
Initially, the windows were decorated with two black-and-white photos of the pair, mounted on easels, before being replaced with a set of gold-framed color photographs.
A more permanent tribute to Dodi and Diana was revealed in April 1998. A shrine to the couple featuring a wine glass purportedly from their final dinner and the engagement ring Dodi reportedly purchased the day before their tragic accident was set up near the department store's ground floor escalators.
A lifesize statue of the pair, titled "Innocent Victims," was then unveiled in 2005. In 2018, after ownership of Harrods changed hands, the statue was removed and placed on the grounds of Al-Fayed's property.
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