Princess Diana will be the subject of not one but two primetime specials on ABC.
On Thursday, the network announced a two-hour telecast for May that will exclusively look at the last 100 days of her life before she died from injuries sustained in a car crash in August 1997.
The Last 100 Days of Diana, hosted by former Nightline co-anchor Martin Bashir, will look at her only summer as a single woman, when she was newly divorced from Prince Charles and romantically involved with British Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan and Dodi al-Fayed, the latter of whom also died in the crash.
Bashir won a BAFTA award in 1996 for his extended interview with the princess of Wales. The two-hour special will include rare interviews with close friends and her personal staff, including her former butler, chef, bodyguard, press secretary and trainer, to reveal her mind-set as she navigated a new life, one that was still firmly in the public eye.
The special will air Sunday, May 7 at 9 p.m.
The Last 100 Days of Diana is the first project from the U.K. office of ABC News’ Lincoln Square Productions. Sheldon Lazarus leads the U.K. outpost and will exec produce the special with Terence Wrong. Disney Media Distribution will handle international distribution.
“Those who knew her best told us that it was no fluke Diana became the most glamorous woman in the world. She had exceptional intuition, street smarts and a charisma that no one could resist,” Wrong said.
Added Lazarus: “Producing this poignant tribute to the world’s most famous woman 20 years after her tragic and untimely death has shown yet again what an incredible person we lost. Through testimonies of those nearest to her, this special showcases the everlasting impact Princess Diana has around the world.”
The Last 100 Days of Diana is one of several upcoming specials about the late princess as the 20th anniversary of her tragic death nears. ABC will also team with People magazine for a two-night, four-hour event that will air in August. CBS is airing a special as well, hosted by Gayle King, in May.
