Princess Diana Dodi Fayed True Story "The Kiss" Pic

The Crown's sixth season explores the PR "war" between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, including staged photos and paparazzi shots.

The sixth season of The Crown explores the public relations battle between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, focusing on Charles' insecurities about being overshadowed by Diana's spotlight. In the episode "Two Photographs," Charles responds to the release of paparazzi photos of Diana and Dodi Fayed with staged pictures of himself, Prince William, and Prince Harry at Balmoral Castle. But how accurate is this portrayal?

According to a 2008 Vanity Fair article, the paparazzi shot known as "The Kiss" was released in the Sunday Mirror on August 10, 1997, with the photographer Mario Brenna making a significant amount of money from the pictures. The Crown faithfully recreates these photos, even going as far as to make a mock-up of The Mirror for the episode. However, the show's implication that Dodi's father tipped off the photographer is less accurate, as some sources suggest that Brenna happened to be in Sardinia at the time and got lucky, while others speculate that Diana herself may have tipped him off.

The timing of Charles' Balmoral photoshoot in response to "The Kiss" is also depicted in the show, taking place just two days after The Mirror published the photos. However, the involvement of photographer Duncan Muir in the show seems to be fictionalized, as the actual photos were taken by a group of press pool photographers, and it is unclear if they were a direct response to "The Kiss."

It's important to note that The Crown has started adding disclaimers about its fictional nature under its trailers, emphasizing that it is "inspired by real events" and is a "fictional dramatization." This adds a layer of complexity to the show's portrayal of historical events.

In the midst of all this talk about kisses and photographs, it's clear that The Crown's depiction of the PR battle between Charles and Diana is a mix of fact and fiction. The show's attention to detail in recreating historical events is commendable, but it's important for viewers to remember that it is ultimately a dramatized interpretation of real-life events.