The Day Diana Died

By: Christopher Andersen

Narrated by: Polly Lee

Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

"When I was born, I was unwanted. When I married Charles, I was unwanted. When I joined the Royal Family, I was unwanted. I want to be wanted." (Diana, Princess of Wales)

Where were you the day Diana died? Like the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the tragic death of the Princess of Wales on August 31, 1997, is one of the defining benchmarks in history - an event that touched each of us so profoundly we will never forget the moment we heard the news.

Twenty years after the Paris car crash that ended Diana's life at age 36, the story of her remarkable life and tragic death still have the power to mesmerize. Following her storybook wedding to Prince Charles, she had evolved from "Shy Di" into the planet's most photographed, written-about, and talked-about woman - indeed, the most famous person in the world.

For all Diana's global fame, much of the human drama that swirled around her death remained veiled in mystery and intrigue. Here, in the manner of his other 17 New York Times best sellers, Christopher Andersen draws upon important sources - many of whom are agreeing to speak for the first time - to re-create in vivid and often startling detail the events leading up to that fateful night in Paris. Among the many revelations:

• Important information about Diana's final moments alive, the accident itself - and her last words
• Prince Charles's surprising reaction to the news of Diana's death - including his shock the first time he saw her body - the Queen's bizarre request, and a riveting account of how Prince William and Prince Harry coped with their shock and grief.
• The broken romance that pushed Diana into the arms of Dodi Fayed, their curious relationship, and whether or not she truly planned to marry him.
• A behind-the-scenes account of the battle royal that raged between the Queen and Prince Charles in the days leading up to the funeral.
• Diana's spiritual quest, and the warnings that might have saved her.
• Final answers to persistent rumors that Diana was pregnant at the time of the accident - and that she was the victim of a murder plot.
• At the end, what Diana wanted for her sons, her vision of a future King William - and the American icon she most wanted him to emulate.

Diana was, in every sense of the word, larger than life - a force of nature that, as the Royal Family learned, could be neither dismissed nor ignored. A bittersweet saga of triumph, love, and loss, The Day Diana Died captures those last days when Diana's star never shone brighter - and evokes the beauty, grace, heartache, and compassion that made Diana one of the most compelling figures of our time.

©1998, 1999. 2017 Andersen Productions (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Swift and astounding reading." (Time)

"The book that sparked a media frenzy." (The Washington Post)

"A fabulous, addictive read." (Chicago Sun-Times)

Full of Detail

You must listen at 1.2 speed! Otherwise, it’s way too slow. The research done for this book fills the gap of all the missing details.

Excellent factual account

This account of the events around Diana’s death remains factual, which means there is nothing new here. But the book is well written and the audio very well performed.

Excellent book. The detailed background was much more than I ever knew.

Overall, it was an excellent book. The performance was impeccable, especially the French pronunciations.
The story helped me feel like I was watching the story unfold with my eyes.
I appreciated that the slams against the monarchy were shown as first hand comments, and just the facts.
I also appreciated how the author wrote about Princess Diana’s childhood. My conclusion was that she just wanted to be loved as Diana, a human, flawed woman.
The research and storyline brought to light so many things that I did not know. It’s a tragic story, and I remember watching her funeral and crying most of the day.
I’m also thankful for Harry’s recent actions to protect the Princess and their children. The way the world is now, it’s dangerous and the media including the internet is a whole new thing since Queen Elizabeth and even Prince Charles were young.
If people were awake when the crash happened, and had the media of today, everyone would have know within a matter of minutes!

Worth the Credit

I’m glad I ignored the bad reviews about the narration. While I didn’t necessarily disagree with them, the narration wasn’t so bad as to put me off the book. The narrator has a good speaking voice, but when she tried to do “voices” or accents, she sounded
a bit silly. Voices/accents are fine for fiction, but if you’re narrating a biography or an account of an event, just speak it straight. Still a great listen, though.

Wonderful book

Wonderful book but have to say I found the narrators imitation of Diana’s voice endlessly irritating.

Cold family

Seemed almost like peering through Diana's personal window. At times felt I shouldn't be looking. Overall a very sad reflection on the monarchy and her family.

Very good

The book was very interesting. There were parts that I didn’t know and filled in the gaps.

Excellent account

Such great information. Absolutely incredible attention to the details of Diana’s last hours. I am so glad I listened to this book.

Sleeping Princess

The last two hours were the highlight of the book, offering details regarding Diana's death that were not well known outside the UK. Otherwise, the rest was rather familiar. A bit too much emphasis on her early naiveté, author could have expounded more on her passion for humanitarian causes, her "magic" that made billions shed tears when she died. Petty things like her feud with Fergie felt like cheap gossip you read in the tabloids...author could have skipped those parts, Fergie already exploited that story.

Excellent audiobook!

I really liked this book because after reading a few books about Princess Diana I didn't know lots of details about her tragic accident narrated in this book. The narrator is excellent and brought tears to my eyes just to remember that very sad day.