Entering August we will be close to a date that, even 25 years later, has not lost its strength. On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris, pursued by the paparazzi that had tormented her since 1980.

Diana Spencer‘s life has been explored in books, films, series, and documentaries. Its fascination remains intact with different generations, some thanks to The Crown, which is due to premiere at the end of the year and precisely address the final period of the princess’s short life. Even though she was transparent about her pain, her struggle, and her frustrations, Diana’s trajectory still provokes curiosity, and, to try to contextualize the tragedy of 25 years ago, HBO Max will air the unprecedented documentary, The Princess.

Directed by Oscar winner Ed Perkins, The Princess will focus on the antagonists of the story: the British tabloid press. In the script, we will have an intimate portrait of Princess Diana, from the times of courtship and illusion to her confrontation with the Royal Family, with rich archival footage to illustrate. With no experts or “friends” giving witness, the director uses intelligence in the editing to retell the story from another angle, one that highlights the criminal voracity of the photographers towards it.

One of the details where the documentary should make mea culpa is about universal truth. We still devour Diana’s story, feeding back explorers profiting from a sad story of a woman disillusioned with love, her mental health threatened, and still the target of a universal obsession. There is no way to explain the cultural phenomenon that is Diana (as is Marilyn). Her vulnerability is almost irresistible and not even a quarter of a century has the public let her rest.

The documentary will air on August 24th.