Elizabeth Debicki proved once again that she is Princess Diana’s doppelganger when she donned a casual black tank top and a red life jacket to film new scenes for the Netflix hit The Crown on Friday.
The Australian actress, 32, was joined by Egyptian-British actor Khalid Abdalla, who plays Diana’s tragic lover Dodi Fayed, as they filmed scenes on a yacht in the Mediterranean.
Based on the location, the scenes are believed to depict Diana and Dodi’s vacation on their luxury yacht in St. Tropez, France in 1997, weeks before they died.
Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Princess Diana in The Crown, was joined by Egyptian-British actor Khalid Abdalla, who plays Diana’s tragic lover Dodi Fayed, as they filmed scenes on a yacht in the Mediterranean
Based on the location, the scenes are believed to depict Diana and Dodi’s vacation on their luxury yacht in St. Tropez, France in 1997
Elizabeth looked casual as she played the late Princess of Wales in a black tank top and comfortable baggy trousers.
Keeping the sun off her face with a green baseball cap emblazoned with the words ‘My Body My Choice’, the star appeared to be going make-up free.
Meanwhile, Khalid looked casual in a white shirt and navy trousers, which he paired with brown leather sandals.
The crew brought a lot of luggage with them as they boarded a boat that took the jet out to the luxury superyacht.
Dodi and Diana were photographed enjoying each other’s company on his boat, called ‘Cujo’, in July 1997, just weeks before their deaths in a car crash in Paris on 31 August that year.
Elizabeth looked relaxed as she filmed the scenes in a black tank top under a red life vest and she donned comfortable baggy trousers
Keeping the sun off her face with a green baseball cap emblazoned with My Body My Choice, the star appeared to be going make-up free
The star looked relaxed and comfortable as she went make-up free as she took a break from filming the famous scenes from 1997
Khalid looked casual in a white shirt and navy trousers which he paired with comfortable brown leather sandals as he enjoyed a lunch break
In May 2020, Fayed’s original yacht was sold for £171,000, with some observers telling The Sunday Express that the bid was surprisingly low, sparking fears that the memory of Diana was fading.
Royal author Margaret Holder, who wrote Diana: The Caring Princess, a look at the life of the Princess of Wales published in 1999, said she felt it was: ‘It’s a shame this historic boat didn’t attract a higher bid as a remarkable souvenir of the last days of Diana’s life.’
She added that she felt it was surprising that royal fans did not pay more for the historic memorabilia. “Not long ago you might have expected a bidding war between rich Diana fans,” she said.
“I hope this is not a sign that the memories of her unique appeal are fading,” she added.
Diana was famously photographed kissing Dodi on the deck of the vessel and sunbathing on the bow of her father’s yacht that same summer.
Dodi and Diana were photographed enjoying each other’s company on his boat, called ‘Cujo’, in July 1997, just weeks before their deaths in a car crash in Paris on 31 August that year
Diana was famously photographed kissing Dodi on the deck of the vessel and sunbathing on the bow of her father’s yacht that same summer
The crew set up the famous scenes on a look-a-like luxury yacht, which was anchored in the middle of the Mediterranean for filming
The crew carried a lot of luggage as they boarded a boat that took the cast out to the luxury superyacht where they filmed scenes
Elizabeth donned comfy black Birkenstocks and carried a backpack as she took a break from filming
The boat was used by Dodi as a venue for lavish parties in the South of France, mainly in St. Tropez.
Filming on The Crown was suspended for one day as a “mark of respect” for the Queen, who died aged 96 on September 8 at Balmoral Castle.
Elizabeth was seen filming one of Diana’s last public appearances when she visited the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, just four days after work on the series was put on hiatus.
There’s no doubt that The Crown adheres to a strict filming schedule to ensure its sixth and final series is released by Netflix on time.
The beauty wrapped a gray sweater around her waist as she chatted with the crew during a break in filming scenes for the Netflix series
The actress put her arm around a crew member as they stopped filming for the day in the Mediterranean for the popular series
Khalid was spotted on a dingy boat with other crew members as they headed out to the yacht to film several scenes for The Corwn
The actor left the nudge to enjoy his lunch on the boardwalk with the rest of the crew who appeared to be waiting with luggage
The actress waited on the boardwalk with some crew members and bags as they waited for another sleazy to arrive to pick them up
Elizabeth’s blonde locks appeared to be swept back and wet as she dried off in the Mediterranean sunshine with the rest of the crew
The filming also did not take place on the day of the Queen’s funeral.
SER Catalunya had reported that scenes to cover the death of Princess Diana in August 1997 were suspended after Her Majesty’s death.
The set, which had been built in a neighborhood in Barcelona, had been modified to look like a Parisian street with French road signs.
Netflix had reportedly devised a plan, also called Operation London Bridge as the official funeral plan for the Queen, to outline what the production company for The Crown would do in the event of her passing.
One of the show’s creators Stephen Daldry said when the series premiered in 2016 that the cast would likely stop production, saying: ‘It would be a simple tribute and a sign of respect. She is a global figure and that is what we should do.’
Peter Morgan, author of the drama, was quoted after news of the Queen’s death was confirmed as saying: ‘The Crown is a love letter to her and I have nothing to add for now, just silence and respect. I expect that we also stop filming out of respect.’