DIANA, 7 DAYS, a remarkable two-hour documentary that captures the tumultuous week following the 1997 death of Princess Diana and how her tragedy had such an extraordinary effect on the United Kingdom and the world, will air on CTV Friday, Sept. 1 from 8-10 p.m. ET and is produced by Sandpaper Films for the BBC.
The landmark film documents the week from Princess Diana’s tragic death to her funeral, and the exceptional outpouring of public emotion.
It is the first and only time that her two sons, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, have sat for on-camera interviews about that week.
In the documentary, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry share their first reactions to the news of their mother’s death; memories of the extraordinary outpouring of public mourning and meeting the crowds; as well as their reactions to the day of the funeral itself and the roles they played.
They also share personal memories of their mother and happier times they enjoyed together, as well as reflect more broadly on her life and what she meant to them both then and now.
Included in the special, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, says: “Part of the reason why Harry and I want to do this is because we feel we owe it to her … I think an element of it is feeling like we let her down when we were younger. We couldn’t protect her. We feel we at least owe her 20 years on to stand up for her name and remind everybody of the character and person that she was. Do our duties as sons in protecting her.”
Says Prince Harry: “When she died there was such an outpour of emotion and love which was quite shocking. It was beautiful at the same time, and it was amazing now looking back at it. It was amazing that our mother had such a huge effect on so many people. When you’re that young and something like that happens to you, I think it’s lodged in here, there, wherever – in your heart, in your head and it stays there for a very, very long time.
I think it’s never going to be easy for the two of us to talk about our mother, but 20 years on seems like a good time to remind people of the difference that she made, not just to the Royal Family but also to the world.”
The film also includes interviews with family members, close friends, political figures and journalists, including Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell, Earl Spencer and Lady Sarah McCorquodale.