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Exclusive: First trailer for HBO’s ‘The Princess’ looks at the intense scrutiny Diana faced

The latest documentary will explore the life and untimely death of the “people's princess.”
/ Source: TODAY

Next month, HBO will debut “The Princess,” a documentary that reflexes the petals of the late Princess Diana's life.

On Wednesday, the trailer for “The Princess,” helmed by director Ed Perkins, aired exclusively on TODAY.

The new trailer brings the relentless fixation with her life throughout the 1980s and '90s to the fore.

“I think we have an unhealthy obsession,” a voice in the trailer says, encapsulating how the late royal was both idolized and vilified.

Public obsession with Princess Diana can be measured in the troves of headlines and tabloids during her life which attempted to capture her spirit and impact on the royal family. To embody this, Perkins relied on archival audio and video footage to chronicle her rise and tragic death on Aug. 31, 1997.

 Ed Perkins directed the new HBO documentary about Princess Diana.
Ed Perkins directed the new HBO documentary about Princess Diana.HBO Max

According to HBO, the documentary tracks Diana’s life as if in the present. The movie will usher viewers through her whirlwind courtship and wedding with Charles, Prince of Wales, her battle to shield their private life and two sons from public scrutiny, and ultimately her headline-grabbing divorce and untimely end. The documentary will debut in the lead up to the 25th anniversary of her passing at 36 years old.

“Intensely emotional, ‘The Princess’ is a visceral submersion into Diana’s life in the constant and often intrusive glare of the media spotlight,” explains a logline for the documentary.

“The Princess” debuts Aug. 13 on HBO and HBO Max.