The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana

1982 American TV series or program

The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana

Genre|

* Drama
* romance

Based on| Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
Written by| Robert L. Freedman
Selma Thompson
Jonathan Platnick
Linda Yellen
Directed by| Peter Levin
Starring| Catherine Oxenberg
Christopher Baines
Olivia de Havilland
Dana Wynter
Ray Milland
Stewart Granger
Music by| David Palmer
Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
Production
Executive producers| Linda Yellen
Terry Ellis
Producer| Linda Yellen
Cinematography| Arthur Ornitz
Editor| Jay Freund
Running time| 120 minutes
Production company| Chrysalis-Yellen Productions
Original release
Network| CBS
Release| September 20, 1982 (1982-09-20)

The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana is a 1982 American made-for-television biographical drama film that depicts the events leading to the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. The film was directed by Peter Levin and starred Catherine Oxenberg, Christopher Baines, Olivia de Havilland, Dana Wynter, Stewart Granger and Ray Milland. It originally aired September 20, 1982, on CBS.[1]

## Cast

[edit]

* Catherine Oxenberg \- Lady Diana Spencer
* Christopher Baines - Charles, Prince of Wales
* Olivia de Havilland \- Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
* Dana Wynter \- Queen Elizabeth II
* Ray Milland \- Mr. Griffiths
* Stewart Granger \- Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
* Holland Taylor \- Frances Shand Kydd
* George Martin \- John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer

## Reception

[edit]

The movie debuted on United States television on the CBS network on Monday, September 20, 1982, and was the most watched prime-time television show of the week, with a 24.0 Nielsen rating and 37 share.[2] It outperformed ABC's Charles and Diana: A Royal Love Story, which had aired three days earlier but had been only the 28th most watched show in America for the prior week.[2][3]

John J. O'Connor, television critic for The New York Times, found that the movie was "much more fixated on the purely romantic possibilities of the story" of Charles and Diana compared to its ABC competition. Instead of touching on any contemporary problems in Britain, the film provides "an outrageously gooey theme song and periodic helicopter shots of stunning countryside," and "emotional high points" such as Diana deciding to get a hair cut. O'Connor opined that Olivia de Havilland played the Queen Mother "with beatific elegance" and Dana Wynter played Queen Elizabeth II "with infinite reserve."[4]

Tom Shales' review for The Washington Post was a great deal less kind, disliking the fairytale nature of the movie. He called it a piece of "slack-jawed heraldic voyeurism incapable of, and apparently uninterested in, transforming remote news figures into believable mortals." Shales preferred the ABC movie, calling it "48 times better," and decrying Diana's representation as "something of a Pollyanna, or a Cinderella - a sweet innocent sprite upon whom a fairy godmother bestowed a few crucial wishes."[5]

## Production

[edit]

The movie was filmed in Westbury, New York; Brewster, New York; and New York City, as well as in England.[6][7]

That the ABC and CBS films debuted three days apart was not a coincidence. CBS had planned to show Royal Romance in December as a Hallmark-sponsored pre-Christmas film, but then moved the air date back to September, even before the official start of the new ratings season. ABC then jumped their movie ahead of CBS, so late in the game that TV Guide did not list it.[5][8] When one reviewer asked to get a preview of either movie, he was told in one case "Are you kidding? They're still gluing the tape together."[7][9][10]

## Legacy

[edit]

As is typical of television movies developed to leverage the popularity of current events, The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana has been called a "forgettable" movie with only occasional press references (such as that it was Oxenburg's acting debut). The movie has never been officially released on VHS or DVD. In 2012, the New York Times reported on a brief spat over the credits for the film, which is likely the most ever written about the movie since 1982, albeit about a minor issue. A dispute arose over whether Janet Grillo could properly claim a "story writer" credit, though it was agreed that she did co-write a story outline for the film.[11]

In 2011, producer Linda Yellen returned to the well using the next generation of British royalty to direct the television movie William & Catherine: A Royal Romance.[12]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Film information at Diana's Legacy
2. ^ a b (4 October 1982). New season off to semi-start, Broadcasting, p.50
3. ^ (29 September 1982). CBS romance with royalty wins Nielsen-race crown, Arizona Republic (Associated Press)
4. ^ O'Connor, John J. (20 September 1982). 'The Royal Romance' on CBS, The New York Times
5. ^ a b Shales, Tom (20 September 1982). CBS Bows too Deeply to Charles and Diane, The Washington Post
6. ^ Corry, John (26 June 1982). Brief on the Arts, The New York Times
7. ^ a b Unger, Aurther (17 September 1982) Re-creating the royal wedding -- and network news troubles, Christian Science Monitor
8. ^ Bedell, Sally (24 August 1982). TV Season: Caution is the Keynote, The New York Times (this article reported on August 24, 1982, that ABC believed CBS would show Romance on September 27)
9. ^ Hanauer, Joan (14 September 1982). Substitute Witness, UPI (the Hallmark film for December 1982 ended up being a remake of Witness for the Prosecution)
10. ^ Clark, Kenneth R. (15 September 1982). TV World, UPI (as of September 15, 1982, UPI was reporting that the ABC did not have an air date, even though it ended up airing on September 17)
11. ^ Rohter, Larry (3 September 2012). Dispute Erupts at N.Y.U. Over Credits for 1982 TV Movie, The New York Times
12. ^ (31 May 2011). 'William and Kate: A Royal Love Story' movie will show the effect of Princess Diana on the couple, Daily News (New York) (Associated Press)

## External links

[edit]

* Full film online, YouTube.com
* The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Peter Levin

* The Comeback Kid (1980)
* Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case (1980)
* The Marva Collins Story (1981)
* The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana (1982)
* A Reason to Live (1985)
* Popeye Doyle (1986)
* Gone to Texas (1986)
* The Littlest Victims (1989)
* A Killer Among Us (1990)
* My Son Johnny (1991)
* Precious Victims (1993)
* The Perfect Mother (1997)
* In the Name of the People (2000)
* Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003)
* In from the Night (2006)
* A Perfect Day (2006)
* Queen Sized (2008)

* v
* t
* e

Charles III

King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms (2022–present)

Realms|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Australia
* The Bahamas
* Belize
* Canada
* Grenada
* Jamaica
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Saint Lucia
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Solomon Islands
* Tuvalu
* United Kingdom

Titles and
honours|

* Head of the Commonwealth
* Defender of the Faith
* Supreme Governor of the Church of England
* Head of the Armed Forces
* Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces
* Head of the Armed Forces (New Zealand)
* Lord of Mann
* Duke of Normandy
* King's Official Birthday
* Flags
* Royal Family Order

Family|

* Camilla Shand (wife)
* Diana Spencer (former wife)
* William, Prince of Wales (elder son)
* Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (younger son)
* Elizabeth II (mother)
* Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (father)
* Anne, Princess Royal (sister)
* Prince Andrew, Duke of York (brother)
* Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (brother)

Life as Prince of Wales|

* Investiture
* Coronet
* First wedding
* guest list
* Tampongate
* Second wedding
* Prince of Wales v Associated Newspapers Ltd
* Black spider memos
* 2022 State Opening of Parliament
* Overseas trips

Accession and
coronation|

* Proclamation of accession (attendees)
* Coronation
* Medal
* Concert
* guest list
* Coronation quiche
* Scottish service

Reign|

* Household
* Prime ministers
* Governors-general
* Operation Menai Bridge
* State and official visits made
* 2023 visits to France; Kenya; 2024 tour of Australia; 2025 visit to Italy; 2025 opening of the Canadian Parliament
* State visits received
* 2025 visit by Emmanuel Macron
* Trooping the Colour
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025
* State Opening of Parliament
* 2023
* 2024

Charities
and campaigns|

* Mutton Renaissance Campaign
* The Prince's Charities
* British Asian Trust
* Business in the Community
* Children & the Arts
* In Kind Direct
* iwill Campaign
* The Royal Countryside Fund
* The King's Foundation
* The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health
* The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts
* King Charles III Charitable Fund
* Royal Drawing School
* Turquoise Mountain Foundation
* Youth Business Scotland
* The Prince's May Day Network
* King's Trust

Residences|

| As Prince of Wales|

* Clarence House (official)
* Highgrove House (private)
* Birkhall
* Llwynywermod

|

As King|

* Buckingham Palace (official)
* Windsor Castle (official)
* Holyrood Palace (official, Scotland)
* Hillsborough Castle (official, Northern Ireland)
* Sandringham House (private)
* Balmoral Castle (private)
* Craigowan Lodge (private)

Awards given
and created|

* List of awards received
* Prince of Wales's Intelligence Community Awards
* Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership
* The Sun Military Awards

Business ventures|

* Duchy Home Farm
* Dumfries House
* Highgrove House Shops
* Knockroon
* Nansledan
* Poundbury
* Waitrose Duchy Organic

Depictions|

| Televised addresses|

* Royal address to the nation
* Royal Christmas Message

|

Documentaries|

* Royal Family (1969)
* Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role (1994)
* Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work (2007)
* Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute (2016)
* Charles R: The Making of a Monarch (2023)
* Charles III: The Coronation Year (2023)
* The King's Music Room (2025)

Film
and television|

* Chorus Girls (1981)
* Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story (1982)
* The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana (1982)
* Spitting Image (1984–1996, 2020–2021)
* Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After (1992)
* Willi und die Windzors (1996)
* Whatever Love Means (2005)
* The Queen (2006 film)
* The Queen (2009 TV serial)
* King Charles III (2017 film)
* The Windsors (2016–2020 TV series)
* The Crown (2016–2023)
* The Prince (2021)
* Spencer (2021)

Plays|

* Her Royal Highness..? (1981)
* King Charles III (2014)
* Diana (2019/2021)
* The Windsors: Endgame (2021)

Portraits|

* Jonathan Yeo (2024)
* Peter Kuhfeld (2025)
* Ai-Da (2025)

Bibliography|

* The Old Man of Lochnagar (1980)
* A Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture (1989)
* Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World (2010)
* Climate Change (2023)

Eponyms|

* Prince Charles Island
* Prince Charles Mountains
* Prince Charles stream tree frog

* ← Elizabeth II

* v
* t
* e

Diana, Princess of Wales

1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997 (1961-07-01 – 1997-08-31)

Titles
(1981–1996)|

* Princess of Wales
* Duchess of Cornwall
* Duchess of Rothesay
* Countess of Chester
* Baroness of Renfrew

Family|

* Charles III (former husband)
* William, Prince of Wales (elder son)
* Harry, Duke of Sussex (younger son)
* John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer (father)
* Frances Shand Kydd (mother)
* Raine Spencer, Countess Spencer (stepmother)
* Lady Sarah McCorquodale (sister)
* Lady Jane Fellowes (sister)
* Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer (brother)
* Spencer family

Life events|

* Wedding
* guest list
* Squidgygate
* Panorama interview

Fashion|

* Wedding dress
* Jewels
* Travolta dress
* Revenge dress
* Lady Dior
* Gucci Diana

Charities|

* International Campaign to Ban Landmines
* Landmine Survivors Network
* Barnardo's
* Centrepoint
* Turning Point
* National AIDS Trust
* The Leprosy Mission
* English National Ballet
* The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
* Great Ormond Street Hospital

Death|

* People's princess
* Funeral
* Operation Paget
* Conspiracy theories

People|

* Dodi Fayed (romantic partner)
* Henri Paul (driver)
* Trevor Rees-Jones (bodyguard)

Memorials and
namesakes|

* Clematis 'Princess Diana' (1984)
* Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend (1986)
* Princess of Wales Hospital, Ely (renamed 1987)
* Princess of Wales Bridge, Stockton-on-Tees (1992)
* Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto (1993)
* Rosa 'Princess of Wales' (1997)
* Memorial fund (1997)
* Rosa 'Diana, Princess of Wales' (1998)
* Tribute concerts
* 1998
* 2007
* Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby (renamed 1999)
* Diana Award (1999–)
* Memorial playground (2000)
* Memorial walk (2000)
* Memorial fountain (2004)
* Innocent Victims (2005)
* Memorial in Vienna (2013)
* Place Diana, Paris (renamed 2018)
* Memorial in Kensington Palace (2021)

Popular
culture|

| Books|

* Diana: Her True Story (1992)
* Diana in Search of Herself (1999)
* 69 Things to Do with a Dead Princess (2002)
* If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things (2002)
* Diana: Closely Guarded Secret (2002)
* The Little White Car (2004)
* Diana: Death of a Goddess (2004)
* The Murder of Princess Diana (2004)
* Princess Diana's Revenge (2006)
* The Diana Chronicles (2007)
* The Accident Man (2011)
* Untold Story (2011)

|

Film and
television|

* Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story (1982)
* The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana (1982)
* Spitting Image (1984–1996)
* Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After (1992)
* Willi und die Windzors (1996)
* Diana: Her True Story (1993)
* Diana: A Tribute to the People's Princess (1998)
* Diana: The Rose Conspiracy (2005)
* Whatever Love Means (2005)
* The Queen (2006)
* Diana: Last Days of a Princess (2007)
* The Murder of Princess Diana (2007)
* Diana (2013)
* The Crown (2020–2023)
* Spencer (2021)

Documentaries|

* The Queen (2009 TV serial)
* Unlawful Killing (2011)
* Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy (2017)
* The Story of Diana (2017)
* Diana: In Her Own Words (2017)
* Diana, 7 Days (2017)
* The Princess (2022)

Plays and
musicals|

* Her Royal Highness..? (1981)
* Diana (2019)

Songs and albums|

* "Buckingham Blues"
* "Diana" (Bryan Adams song)
* "Candle in the Wind 1997"
* Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute
* "Ain't Nuttin' But Music"
* "Dance in the Dark"
* "Princess Diana"

Portraits|

* Diana, Princess of Wales (Bryan Organ portrait)

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