The Princess of Las Vegas

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of disordered eating and mental illness.

Diana Spencer (1961-1997), also known as the Princess of Wales, was a member of the British Royal Family. Diana, the subject of excessive publicity and press, was called “The People’s Princess.” Since her death in 1997, she has been the subject of many biographies, biopics, and TV shows, highlighting continued public interest in Diana’s short, traumatic life.

Diana and Prince Charles, now King Charles III, became engaged in 1981 and married in front of a congregation of 2,500 and a worldwide TV audience of about 750 million. Diana was hounded by the press even during her engagement. After having two sons, the media began to allege that Diana had anorexia nervosa. Concerns surrounding her disordered eating and mental health colored much of her adult life.

Charles and Diana had a tumultuous relationship, and following both Charles and Diana giving damning interviews about each other and the state of their marriage, they divorced in 1996. After her divorce, Diana continued to be followed by the press, who were especially interested in her post-divorce dating life. The press focused on her relationship with Dodi al-Fayad, the heir to the Harrods Department Store. In 1997, the couple died in a car accident in Paris while being pursued by the paparazzi. An estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide watched Princess Diana’s funeral.

Diana’s life remains a source of public interest, primarily because of her traumatic experience with the British monarchy. Many people believe she was treated poorly by the monarchy and press, which exacerbated her disordered eating and mental illness. However, some fans focus on her warmth, charity work, and glamorous outfits.

Crissy makes her livelihood performing as a Diana impersonator in Las Vegas, and she never completely escapes the trauma that tinged Diana’s life. Her show is popular with the over-50 crowd because they were alive during Diana and Charles’s wedding. While Crissy jokes about Diana’s disordered eating and troubled marriage, she doesn’t talk about her tragic death. However, by joking about the difficulties Diana faced, Crissy makes herself just another spectator to the princess’s short life.