New Princess Diana docuseries to reveal unheard recordings from private 1991 tapes

Previously unheard recordings of Princess Diana are set to be released as part of a new documentary series that will offer fresh details about her private life and her years inside the British royal family.

The recordings were made during private conversations between Diana and her close friend, surgeon Dr James Colthurst. They were secretly recorded at Kensington Palace and later delivered to royal biographer Andrew Morton, who used them as source material for his 1992 book Diana: Her True Story.

Although portions of the tapes were made public over the years, producers say less than one hour of the full recordings has ever been released. The upcoming documentary will present the material in greater detail, allowing viewers to hear Diana’s own account of her life during one of the most difficult periods of her marriage to then-Prince Charles.

According to production company Love Monday TV, the series will include Diana’s reflections on her marriage, her relationship with Charles, his involvement with Camilla Parker Bowles, and her experiences within the royal household. The tapes are also said to include her thoughts on her sons, Princes William and Harry, as well as other senior members of the royal family.

The producers said the recordings reveal “a resilient, perceptive, and relatable young woman” navigating intense public scrutiny. They added that the material would allow audiences to hear Diana’s personality more directly, including her humour and private reflections, while presenting a fuller picture of her life beyond the public image attached to her.

Alongside the audio recordings, the series will feature interviews with several people who were close to Diana, including her hairdresser Sam McKnight, astrologer Penny Thornton, and other confidants and commentators familiar with the events surrounding the recordings.

Filming is already under way, with production backed by Love Monday TV in partnership with 53 Degrees Global. Funding is being provided by New York-based RainMaker Films.

The release is expected to renew public interest in Diana’s story, nearly three decades after her death in a car crash in Paris in August 1997. Her life and legacy have remained the subject of continued global fascination, with numerous documentaries, books and dramatisations examining her role within the monarchy and her lasting public influence.

The new series is expected to focus on Diana’s own voice, placing her personal account at the centre of the narrative.