For a Russian it is hard to understand how unusual this documentary is, for we have no conception of just how reserved and careful the Royal family has to be. Diana has done what no other member of the Windsor family has ever done. She has spoken openly (though in secret interviews) to the public about her life as Princess, given an insight of what's going on behind closed doors.
Indeed, everything she ever said or did was so different from what the other members of the Royal family were accustomed or exepected to do. She could get away with almost anything. Her style, her clothes in unusually bright colours and chic designs, her opennes with the people, her outspokenness, her fragility and defiance.
The Monarchy was on the verge of abolishment several times in the 20th centuries, aside from the obvious political reasons, because of the family scandals - Edward Viii abdication from the throne and marriage to a divorced American Wallis Simpson, Princess Margaret's scandalous celebrity lifestyle, and then - Diana. The Windsors have been trying so hard to keep it all together, to present a united front to the People, and Diana has shattered that image of the Royal family's perfection.
Diana In her Own Words is a documentary, based on a serious of secret interviews that Diana gave to a friend who was working on the behalf of a biographer. A book was later published which caused an uproar in the public for its revelations. After Diana's death the biographer admitted that she had been his source for the book.
For the first time I heard from this documentray that she suffered from bulimia for several years. She admitted to having severe fits of bulimia on various occasions - 'just goggling up everything she could find and then vomiting 2 minutes later. It was such a relief from tension." Yes she did have a hard time adjusting to the ways of the Family and to what was required of her.
Always to be in the public eye is such a huge responsibility. Every look or step is photographed, discussed, the press is everywhere. The world's interest and her popularity were insane.
And then there're responsibilities within the family. Be a good wife, don't contradict your husband, give birth to an heir. She did all that, but the years spent as a princess, she said, were "mostly in total darkness.". Severe depression and stress and bulimia, the total lack of support from her husband Prince Charles, and most of all, from the start, the knowledge that "there have been three of them in thsi marriage, so it was a bit crowded". She was referring, of course, to Camilla Parker-Bowles. Apparently their affair had been going on long before Charles's marriage to Diana, and just went on and on during and after that. Camilla was "a friend of the family", she was always there, there were hints and presents to each other and so on, so it was quite transparent. And yet the two didn't think it worth admitting openly to Diana about their romance for 7-8 years.
In this series of interviews Diana portrayas herself as a complete innocent, who lacked the nerve to speak to Camilla openly about these things. As for her pre-marriage years, she is said to have been a quiet, shy, kind girl working as a teacher at some nursery or primary school. Didn't have any boyfriends and a close friend of the family even vouched for her still being a virgin before marrying Charles. The Perfect qualifications for a future princess, and she probably knew it.When she talks about her first marriage years, it is practically a blur of depression, bulimia and hysetrics met coldly by Charles.
Come to think of it, she does admit throwing herself down the stairs when she was pregnant. And slashing her chest with a penknife on some occasion when they had a big row. And so on. Of course, this could be construed as the result of her mental instability at the time, but it doesn't sound quite like an innocent girl and a victim.
One can't help thinking that at least some of her victim 'image was created by herself and carefully thought out at some point or other. Perhaps even before her marriage she knew what she wanted (being from a noble family), but "she had no idea of what she was getting into". Or she had an idea all right, but no real conception of the extent to which she would have to "sacrifice herself". It seems she was an ambitious girl who knew what she wanted but couldn't handle it when she got there. At least at first. Then she became more self-contained, grown-up, reserved and stronger. She started to reassert herself and try to get out.
But she did everything her way, celebrity-style, and don't tell me she didn't realise, after nearly 10 years of "being married into the establishment" what she was doing. These secret interviews, too. A cry for help from a person being haunted and hunted by the press? Surely it's obvious what kind of publicity a book like that would generate.
At the same time, it might help her get "a way out" of 'the establishment" and finally define her in te public eye as an independent figure who deserved freedom.
Be that as it may, one can't help loving and admiring Diana to bits. She Was beautiful, both on the outside, a gorgeous and chic woman, and on the inside, that inner light shining from her eyes, her smile absolutely irresistible. Her love for children, her charity work, her openness and warm-heartedness are admirable. Innocent or ambitious, hot-tempered or meek, unstable or stoic, mst of all, a fighter - maybe all of these things were combined in her and made her the mystery that she is and will aways remain. Beautiful and so down-to-earth - a People's Princess.