Princess Diana’s Death: Revisiting The Headlines That Shook The World

The fifth season of the hit series, The Crown will feature Elizabeth Debecki as Princess Diana.

As the fifth season of The Crown releases on 9 November, here’s a look at how newspapers reported on Diana's fatal car crash.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter; Altered by The Quint)

Netflix’s royal drama, The Crown is back with its fifth season; with Imelda Staunton taking on the role of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The trailer of the hit series promises a look at the cracking facade of the royal family, including one of the biggest tragedies: Princess Diana’s death.

On 31 August 1997, the then Princess of Wales was killed in a a car crash that also took the life of her partner, Dodi Fayed and her chauffeur, Henri Paul. The only person to survive the fatal car crash in Paris was her bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones. Diana's death was a cause of universal shock and grief, with her funeral being televised to an estimate of 2.5 billion people.

Ahead of the fifth season of The Crown, here’s a look at how newspapers revealed to their readers that The People's Princess was no longer alive.

On the 25th anniversary of Diana's death, Stephen Gordon, the reporter who filed the Sunday Life report, wrote, "The intro to the report was the easiest I’ve ever written: Princess Diana is dead. No other story seemed to matter that Sunday. Or that week."

The Cincinnati Enquirer's headline of the shocking news, accompanied with a subtitle saying, "The world has lost a princess."

Evening Telegraph's special edition tributing Princess Diana's life and service.

The Palm Beach Post published an editorial on the invasion of privacy by the media, alluding to the paparazzi chasing Diana's car until its ultimate collision. 

The Daily Mail headlined the news, as of 4:00AM on 31 August - when Princess Diana had survived the car crash but was in critical condition. Eight days after her death, the publication held the media partially responsible and banned paparazzi pictures.

Los Angeles Times called Diana's partner, Dodi Fayed, a "friend" and revealed to its readers of their demise.

Manchester Evening News did a 44-page special edition on the Princess' life and legacy, informing its readers that "Diana and Dodi die side by side".

The Guardian took a simple, yet hard-hitting route by headlining the tragic news with Diana's birth and death years.

Along with its strong headline, The Sydney Morning Herald brought its readers attention to a quote by Diana, "The press is savage. It doesn't forgive anything."