Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/Netflix
Twenty-five years after her death, Princess Diana is everywhere: Stories about her life fill books and magazines, while TikTokkers reproduce her famous sweatshirt/biker short combo every winter. Her years of being harassed by paparazzi have come back into the limelight with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s exit from the royal family, while her tumultuous marriage and divorce has been painstakingly recapped since Charles’ accession to the throne. And now, with Season 5 of Netflix’s hit drama series The Crown, it’s safe to say we’re in for another wave of Dianamania.
Not that the previous wave ever really ended. Princess Diana portrayals have been all over film, television, and theater. Naomi Watts played her in the 2013 film Diana, while Kristen Stewart was nominated for an Oscar this year for her spin in Spencer. Emma Corrin captured Diana’s younger vulnerability in The Crown’s fourth season, winning her a slew of awards, and Jeanna de Waal took on the titular role in Diana: A True Musical Story. Maybe our fondness for the former Princess of Wales went a bit too far with that one.
But now, we’re graced with a new depiction that tops any and all previous installments in the Diana Cinematic Universe (coining that now, if it’s still up for grabs). Yes, in the latest season of The Crown, Elizabeth Debicki, famous actress of six-foot-three height, takes the reins as an older Diana. And it is an astounding performance. From her uncanny hairstyle and eyeshadow to the protective chin tuck, Debicki hasn’t just emulated the cultural icon; she’s become her.