GLOBAL — Countless magazines, tabloids even a tell all book have accounted the details in the life of Diana, Princess of Wales. We're all to familiar with her marriage and divorce to Prince Charles, her iconic style, and her philanthropic endeavors, yet she left a legacy somewhat shrouded in mystery. But the biopic "Diana" based on "Diana: Her Last Love" by Kate Snell and starring Naomi Watts gives us an intimate peek into the life of a woman who might have become Queen of England some day had her life not unfolded in the manner in which it did. But, as tragic and ambiguous her life may appear to those of us on the outside looking in, I learned from watching the film that there's a lot that can be learned from her tumultuous life and her infectious need to love and be loved.
1. Stand Up For Yourself
No matter where you live in the world, you undoubtedly have heard the saga of Lady Diana's life. She had a fairytale existence, married to the future King of England and lived in a palace. But the storybook tale fizzled and Diana was on the road to divorce when she went public with her marriage woes, telling Martin Bashir in a BBC1 Panorama interview "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." It may have not been in line with royal rules but she stepped out on a limb and let her side be heard.
2. Follow Your Heart
In the final days of Princess Diana's life, the public was regaled with stories about her elicit affair – and tragic death – with Dodi Fayed, an Egyptian billionaire whose father founded luxury retailer Harrods. But little was mentioned about her two-year romance with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan (Andrew Naveen). The film "Diana" focuses on this period in the princess's life. Although the ill-fated romance had an unceremonious end because of cultural differences and hounding from the press, it is revealed that Lady Diana had found true love before her death and was willing to make myriad sacrifices in pursuit of this love.
3. Walk Another's Path
To often we walk through life only understanding and embracing what we've been taught or experienced. Princess Diana, known for supporting charitable organizations and championing the cause of the poverty stricken in third world countries, sparked a controversy when she called for an international ban on landmines after discovering that children in Angola had been injured or killed when they stepped on abandoned landmines. While visiting Angola, she walked a path riddled with landmines to illustrate the danger and severity of the situation.
4. Have A Plan 'B'
The people's princess as she was fondly called, might have well been referred to as the paparazzi's prey for as much as the press hounded her. But Princess Diana tried not to let this hamper her personal life and even went to great lengths to conceal her identity when she went out for evenings on the town with Hasnat Khan. So when she couldn't escape the paparazzi with her chicly coifed blonde 'do, she donned a long brunette wig to meet Khan at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.
5. Stay Chic
Regardless of all the drama that unfolded in her life, Princess Diana maintained impeccable style and rocked the most enviable designer wardrobe from Christian Dior handbags to Jacques Azagury custom gowns. Her sophistication and elegance has yet to be matched by any other royal since. She truly new the importance of staying chic.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4hVt03vf_s[/youtube]
RADAR RATING: 85%
Chicly Yours,
The Chic Spy
(Images courtesy of Entertainment One)
