Princess Diana: Learn about the life and legacy of the people’s princess with these books

In 1993, at the height of her recognition, Princess Diana announced she was reducing her official royal duties to live a more private life following her separation from Prince Charles. During her time in the royal family, she was best known for her humanitarian efforts and her attempts to reshape the monarchy in order to show its emotional side. 

Diana: Her True Story documents the princess's long-term legacy through revealing, never-before-published material from original interviews, as well as an account of the events that surrounded her death. Just when she was finding her freedom and happiness, her life was cut short, making this a heartbreaking story.

Serving as a tribute to mark the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death, this book, with a foreword by journalist Tina Brown, celebrates the life of the princess in pictures. It contains more than 100 photographs, many of which you won’t have seen before, and remembrances of her from her famous friends including Bill Clinton, Mother Teresa and Eton John.

The first royal protection officer to publish a memoir, Ken Wharfe was a crucial figure in Diana’s life for nearly seven years. Wharfe saw her through her highs and lows, and Diana: Closely Guarded Secret feels like a balanced account, full of insights into the princess’s daily life. Providing a fly-on-the-wall perspective of the high-pressure years in Buckingham Palace, it’s a heartfelt and honest story. 

Said to be one of the most well-researched insider books on Diana’s life, Brown conducted more than 250 interviews with members of the princess’s inner circle. It’s essential reading for anyone interested in how she became the people’s princess, and the battles she endured to ensure her legacy. 

The sequel to Diana: Her True Story, Andrew Morton employs his formidable skills as a researcher and investigative writer to uncover the truth. The book reveals stories of key figures in the princess’s life, such as her lover James Hewitt, her butler Paul Burrell and Prince Charles's valet, Michael Fawcett. Written in chronological order, it’s a definitive study of Diana. 

Journalist Nigel Cawthorne provides a fresh perspective on the interviews Diana gave throughout her life. Gathering her most noteworthy words, from her very first in public, when she had been cast into the media spotlight as a young girl, to her last. Some well known and some forgotten, the quotations in Call Me Diana are said to provide an eye-opening read.