Diana: Her True Story-In Her Own Words by Andrew Morton
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
The sensational biography of Princess Diana, written with her cooperation and now featuring exclusive new material to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her death.
When Diana: Her True Story was first published in 1992, it forever changed the way the public viewed the British monarchy. Greeted initially with disbelief and ridicule, the #1 New York Times bestselling biography has become a unique literary classic, not just because of its explosive contents but also because of Diana’s intimate involvement in the publication. Never before had a senior royal spoken in such a raw, unfiltered way about her unhappy marriage, her relationship with the Queen, her extraordinary life inside the House of Windsor, her hopes, her fears, and her dreams. Now, twenty-five years on, biographer Andrew Morton has revisited the secret tapes he and the late princess made to reveal startling new insights into her life and mind. In this fully revised edition of his groundbreaking biography, Morton considers Diana’s legacy and her relevance to the modern royal family.
An icon in life and a legend in death, Diana continues to fascinate. Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words is the closest we will ever come to her autobiography.
I remember when this book was originally published and my mom scrambling to our local book store to get her hands on it.
She absolutely ADORED Princess Diana and was fascinated (yet at the same time perplexed and disgusted) with the Royal Family.
My mom was a BIG bookworm back in the day(a trait she passed on to yours truly!) and I still remember her bedroom—one wall had two HUGE bookcases overflowing with books, as well as plenty more stacked on her nightstand and desk.
She also was a BIG magazine reader, and I can also remember piles and stacks of them all over her bedroom.
(she is also a tad bit of a hoarder 🤣)
So many of these magazines and books I saw while growing up in the 80s/90s had Diana’s face on them.
My mom loved her humanitarian work, her devotion to her boys, her vulnerability in later years, and of course her fashion.
We always talked about how difficult it seemed to be for her to live the Royal life…and about how many internal demons she seemed to struggle with as well.
But we also always talked about what a servant’s heart she had too…how she seemed to genuinely and authentically love and care about other human beings and the world…and how she wore her heart on her sleeve as much as she was “allowed” to.
The night that Diana was in that awful car accident was a heartbreaking one for my mom.
I remember coming home from a night out with friends–I was a senior in high school–and finding my mom in her car, in our driveway, sobbing HYSTERICALLY into her boyfriend’s arms.
I had a lot of childhood trauma at this point in my life so my immediate thought was that something AWFUL happened to one of our family members.
When I asked what was wrong, she couldn’t even get the words out…and I remember her boyfriend telling me what they had just heard on the radio.
Diana made a huge difference in my life, my mom’s life and so many others….Royals included, whether they liked it or not.
Fast forward to a few months ago….
I learned that the local community theater where I am a volunteer and performer would be having “Diana: The Musical” as one of their mainstage shows this season.
I was like “OMG. I HAVE to audition!”
(not for Diana, yall….I am NOT anywhere NEAR being a lead vocalist….I would just LOVE to be part of the ensemble!)
In preparation for the upcoming audition (which just so happens to be ON MY MOM’S BIRTHDAY!😱) , I rewatched the musical and have been listening to the soundtrack on repeat….and I HAD to track down this book, which has a whole entire scene and song in the show. (there’s even choreography HOLDING it!)
Reading this book just solidified everything I already knew about Diana…she was a flawed, tortured human being….not perfect by any means…but she also was kind, big hearted, rebellious and incredibly loving.
I really do think she just longed to feel loved her entire life…by others and by herself….and I’m not sure she ever reached a point where she felt that authentically.
Which is tragic for so many reasons.
She wanted to change the status quo with the Royal family (which she called “The System”)…change some of their antiquated ways to really relate to the citizens of their country.
Something she passed on to her children, ESPECIALLY Prince Harry. (whom I also completely ADORE)
She really longed to make OTHERS feel loved and accepted too….and THAT I think she DID accomplish in many, many ways.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Diana….whether you know a little or a lot already.