For any budding young actress, the chance to play Princess Diana in a movie, TV series or theatre production is a dream come true and a major career boost.
But with the privilege has come the huge responsibility of accurately portraying the ill-fated royal to the public who followed her every move.
A quarter of a century on from her death, Diana’s life in the royal bubble and her years thereafter continue to fascinate, which is reflected in the constant stream of productions exploring her through fiction.
Most recently, royal fans have been gripped by the hit Netflix series The Crown, with season five set to hit screens in November.
Who are the actresses who have played Princess Diana?
Catherine Oxenberg was among the first actresses to play Diana while she was still living.
She starred in two made-for-television dramas: the 1982 biopic The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana, released a year after the future king married his young bride, and 1992's Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After, about the collapse of their marriage.
Serena Scott Thomas, the younger sister of Kristin Scott Thomas, also played Diana while she was still alive, starring in Diana: Her True Story, a 1993 TV drama based on Andrew Morton's biography.
Julie Cox, who portrayed Diana in the 1996 Princess In Love television movie, took part in scenes which caused quite a scandal. Critics slated the production, adapted from a bestselling novel, which dramatised rumours of an affair between Diana and Captain James Hewitt.
Before the film was aired, Cox said she was keen not to “offend or insult” the then-future queen.
“You're dealing with someone's private life,” she said in footage released to promote the film. “You hope you're not upsetting someone because we have no way to find out how they feel personally about it.”
Amy Clare Seccombe was cast as the future king’s wife in the drama Diana: A tribute to the People’s Princess, a year after the royal’s tragic death. It was based on the final year of the mother-of-two’s life when her relationship with Dodi Fayed aroused controversy.
Lawyers for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund fought to stop Mirror Television from making the 1998 movie, claiming it exploited her image, and branded the project “inappropriate and insensitive.”
Ms Seccombe said on location for the film that she hoped to portray Diana as a “very human person.” Amid a wave of criticism, she said she was “not worried that I am going to upset them too badly.”
“If they choose to see this film they are not seeing her, they are seeing my face and that will distance it,” she said, adding, “I think it is much worse to read all the stories that she might have survived and things like that.”
Naomi Watts stepped into her starring role in 2013 when she played the princess in the Oliver Hirschbiegel feature Diana.
She portrayed Diana during the final two years of her life in the film, chronicling her relationships with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan and Mr Fayed.
Ms Watts admitted it was “scary” to play the part of Diana and said she found it difficult to master her “posh” English accent.
“Everyone feels they know her and they thought they had an opinion about who she was and their version of the story must be true and the comparisons that will be made inevitably, so all that was very daunting,” she added.
Despite her efforts, critics were less than impressed by the film, which garnered almost entirely negative reviews.
Emma Corrin was unveiled as a young Diana in season four of The Crown.
She noted how the princess had “a very unique voice” which added to her quality.
“I don't think she is just Sloaney, because I mean, there were million Sloane Rangers at that time and none of them sounded like her,” the actress said. “But she has this thing that she does where she basically goes down at the end of everything she says, which I think added to the fact that kind of quality she had of making her quite a, I guess, empathetic figure, even if she were saying 'I had a wonderful time today, I really did enjoy myself. It's a wonderful day, really happy.”
Jeanna de Waal played Prince Charles’ ex-wife in the Broadway production Diana the Musical.
She said the biggest challenge is that audiences have “such a preconceived idea of who Diana is and within a couple of seconds they're definitely going to decide whether they buy your interpretation or not.”
Kristen Stewart's Oscar-nominated performance as Diana in Spencer was launched at the Venice International Film Festival. Released in November 2021, the Pablo Larraín drama imagines the royal family's Christmas festivities at Queen Elizabeth II's Sandringham estate. The film focuses on the expectations placed on Diana, and how she struggled to meet them while longing for freedom.
Stewart said she was “very scared” about the role and suffered jaw pain.
Elizabeth Debicki is the latest actress to portray Diana. She is set to be introduced to fans of The Crown as an older Diana when season five is released later this year.
While details of her performance are still under wraps, it can be assumed a far cry from the small screen interpretations aired in the 1980s and '90s as the aspects of Diana's life filmmakers are drawn to have evolved, as well as how actors tackle the role.
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
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