If there’s one thing Hollywood will never go without, it’s a supply of actresses ready to play Diana, Princess of Wales. That makes sense, of course; the royal’s real-life blend of beauty, charm, and pathos makes her story ripe for dramatization. Yet not all fictional Dianas are created equal.
The Crown has already given us one portrayal, and we’re all looking forward to seeing Elizabeth Debicki’s Diana in the show’s upcoming fifth season, but while we wait, we’re looking back to Dianas of yore. Without further ado, and in ascending order of greatness, here are all the Princess Diana performances we’ve seen fit to rank—from the not so great (sorry, Naomi Watts) to the truly inspired.
7. Naomi Watts in Diana (2013)
Listen, there’s a reason this movie has a 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s not the writing. (Okay, maybe it’s also the writing.) Watts does her best, and the physical likeness is okay, but Diana’s inimitable mix of shyness and charisma just isn’t there.
6. Julie Cox in Princess in Love (1996)
Not only is this film—which attempts to capture the romance between Diana and Captain James Hewitt—dreadfully schlocky, but almost no attempt was made to match Diana’s signature cropped, blond hairdo. How hard is it to get an accurate wig? And I’m sorry, but Diana wore sweatshirts and cardigans, not shapeless turtlenecks!
5. Serena Scott Thomas in Diana: Her True Story (1993)
This TV movie, which was adapted from the book of the same name by Andrew Morton, fails on one very specific yet major point: Serena Scott Thomas, the actress playing Diana, just does not look anything like her. I mean...they’re both blond, I guess?
4. Jeanna del Waal in Diana: A True Musical Story (2021)
Is it fair of me to rank del Waal’s performance as mid tier because the idea of a Diana musical fills me with horror? No, but I also didn’t tell them to make it, so there you go. Monarchy plus musical theater equals a big, fat no from me. Still, I suppose you have to admire del Waal’s ability to mimic Diana while singing.
3. Bonnie Soper in Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance (2018)
Okay, now we’re getting somewhere! The movie itself is nothing to write home about, but at least Soper has Diana’s likeness and mannerisms down pat, making this one of the better Diana portrayals (jn a Lifetime movie, anyway).
2. Emma Corrin on The Crown (2020)
Portraying a young Diana (as in teenage, as in the age when Charles first met her in real life, as in creepy) isn’t an easy task, but Corrin pulled it off flawlessly on the most recent season of The Crown. Within the span of a season, they capably took Diana from a mischievous, unitard-clad schoolgirl to a struggling, dissatisfied wife, mother, and princess. Extra points for the dancing skills!
1. Kristen Stewart in Spencer
I’m on the record as a Spencer stan, and while I know that Stewart’s performance as the People’s Princess was somewhat controversial, I was spellbound by the well-known actress’s ability to disappear into the role and humanize one of the most painful chapters of Diana’s life. The resemblance isn’t perfect, but the second I saw Stewart look up at the camera through her eyelashes, I thought: There’s Diana.
