The Real Diana

By: Lady Colin Campbell

Narrated by: Sophie Roberts

Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Who was the real Diana? What was it like to be so privileged yet so anguished, so beloved yet so self-loathing, so spoiled yet so despairing? The Princess of Wales was all these things - far more complicated, conflicted and intriguing a person than the wildly disparate saint or lunatic she is frequently portrayed to be.

Royal insider Lady Colin Campbell sets the record straight on many of the most controversial aspects of Diana's turbulent life: how Charles and Diana's engagement came to pass, though it seemed ill-advised to those closest to both of them, what their honeymoon was really like, the truth behind Diana's bulimia, her widely reported suicide attempts and her obsession with Camilla Parker Bowles; Diana's search for love and fulfilment with numerous men before, during and after her marriage; her brilliant manipulations of the press and her relationship with Dodi Fayed.

Lady Colin Campbell's New York Times best-selling biography Diana in Private was the first to expose the truth about Diana and her troubled marriage. In The Real Diana, she reveals that the reason she knew so much about what went on behind the palace gates was because Diana herself was the source. Drawing upon these confidences - as well as on conversations with countless people who knew Diana and with Diana herself in the final years of her life - Lady Colin Campbell combines true insight with true compassion to bring us the most intimate and revealing portrait of the Princess of Wales that we will ever have.

©2004 Lady Colin Campbell (P)2022 W F Howes

The authenticity of this story stands out

I quite like Lady Colin Campbell, she pulls no punches and tells it like it is. Having said that, she is kind and considerate toward her subjects and this book comes across as tasteful and even.

Grateful for the ending

Although I thought the last sentence was ridiculously glib, I am otherwise very glad of the last chapter and the afterword in this book the accomplishments of Diana’s last year or so and going deeply into the accident that took her life. Before that, this was going to be my review:

If you want destroyed pretty much any positive memories/ideas you have of the former Princess Diana, read this book, which paints her as a spoiled, promiscuous, irresponsible, scheming, and vindictive narcissist. (I don’t doubt the veracity, but ouch. While she had some legitimate illnesses that would have affected her personality, it’s quite clear that she was largely not a good person.)

Enlightening

Lady C is an expert and fair story-teller. She portrays Diana as very real and flawed, like all of us are, but doesn’t hide her virtues. This was a wonderful book. The narrator was fantastic.

The Real Diana

Lady Colin Campbell does indefatigable research with a balanced presentation of events and character. The reader does a good job.

Great book!

Well balanced account, detailed, thorough, and comprehensive. It is beautifully written. The narrator has a beautiful voice.

Truth be told

Seems as if Lady Campbell has been thorough in her research in order to write the contents of this book. It enables the reader to see the why’s and wherefore’s of many events and decision making that took place within the royal household concerning Diana & Charles . Also, I was taken aback with some of the antics that were taking place behind the scenes and those things made me wonder because they seemed to have been mimicked in some of the Sussexes antics of late. The read left me with a range of good and sad opinions about the Royal way of life.

Absolutely Fascinating

This book must be read by anyone interested in Diana. Or interested in how to write a popular biography. Or interested in writing well. The only criticism I have is that she doesn't include an epilogue on the Martin Bashir scandal. It doesn't exonerate Diana, but it certainly explains some of her behavior at the time. There is no pandering to the sentimental view of the Princess. She was a real person and Lady C presents her as one. This is indeed a fair, informed account of the real Diana and her story.

Great book with true facts

Loved this “non-sensational” book. Seems like she stuck to the facts and didn’t show the bias of subject that others had. Diana was a complex human being like we all are - and we did not know here because we saw her in the papers - we didn’t know anything about her true persona really. This book paints a hymn three dimensional picture of a flawed but like able human.

Lady Colin Campbell,you are reaching with this book.. that’s is all 🤷🏽‍♀️

The narrator does a good job on the story, but I just don’t believe a lot of the stories shared in this “book”. I think Lady Colin Campbell is a “hater” and is “reaching” with this whole story she’s written. I think she is a gossip and that’s all this book is, GOSSIP. I wouldn’t waste my credit or FREE listen on this. I’m sorry, I just wouldn’t. It’s obvious she loathes Princess Diana and quite possibly most of the Royal Family. I’m very disappointed in her/them and HUGELY disappointed in this “book”🤷🏽‍♀️

Narrator

While she did a fairly good job, names were mispronounced quite often. Just one of my pet peeves 😉