Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story

Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story
Genre
  • Drama
  • romance
Based onWedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
Written byJohn McGreevy
Directed byJames Goldstone
StarringDavid Robb
Caroline Bliss
Music byJohn Addison
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerEdward S. Feldman
ProducerClyde Phillips
CinematographyTed Moore
EditorsEdward A. Biery
John Troppeler
Running time95 minutes
Production companiesEdward S. Feldman Company
St. Lorraine Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 17, 1982 (1982-09-17)

Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story is a 1982 American made-for-television biographical drama film that depicts the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. The film was directed by James Goldstone and starred David Robb, Caroline Bliss, Christopher Lee, Rod Taylor, Margaret Tyzack and Mona Washbourne. It originally aired September 17, 1982, on ABC.[1]

Synopsis

The film is about the courtship of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. Charles is shown to be under intense pressure by his family and the press to find a suitable bride. Before his death in a bomb explosion, Charles' great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten, tells him that he should find a wife. Lady Diana Spencer, who is already in love with Charles, starts to share a flat with her friends in London and begins working at a kindergarten. Due to her friendship with Charles' brother, Prince Andrew, Diana enjoys a close relationship with the Royal Family. She soon catches Charles' eye and the two become romantically involved. Despite constant intrusion by the press, Diana appears to be unbothered and the courtship progresses. Charles eventually proposes, and Diana accepts his proposal. The two get married in a royal wedding ceremony.

Cast

Reception

The movie debuted on United States television on the ABC network on Friday, September 17, 1982, and was the 28th most watched show in America in that week.[2][3] It was beaten by CBS's The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana, which became the most watched prime-time television show of the next week, with a 24.0 Nielsen rating and 37 share.[2]

Production

The movie was filmed in Kensington and Westminster.

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.[4][5] 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."[6][7][8]

References

  1. ^ "Charles and Diana: A Royal Love Story (TV)". The Paley Center for Media. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  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. ^ Shales, Tom (20 September 1982). CBS Bows too Deeply to Charles and Diane, The Washington Post
  5. ^ 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)
  6. ^ Unger, Aurther (17 September 1982) Re-creating the royal wedding -- and network news troubles, Christian Science Monitor
  7. ^ Hanauer, Joan (14 September 1982). Substitute Witness, UPI (the Hallmark film for December 1982 ended up being a remake of Witness for the Prosecution)
  8. ^ 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)