A video of Princess Diana hitting Prince Charles over the head with a fake glass bottle has gone viral on social media, sparking mixed reactions from the public. The video was taken in 1986, when the royal couple visited Pinewood Studios, where the James Bond film The Living Daylights was being filmed.
The video shows Diana being handed a prop bottle made of sugar glass by actor Jeroen Krabbé, who played the villain in the movie. Diana then smashes the bottle over Charles’ head, causing it to shatter and shower him with fragments. The prince, who was unaware of the prank, looks stunned and confused, while Diana and the rest of the crowd burst into laughter.
The video resurfaced online after Charles was crowned as the new king of the United Kingdom, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in February 2024. The coronation was attended by his wife, Queen Camilla, and his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, who flew in from Canada with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children. The video has been viewed millions of times on various platforms, such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, and has generated a lot of comments from the users. Some praised Diana for her sense of humor and charisma, while others criticized her for being disrespectful and childish. Some also expressed their sympathy for Charles, who had to endure a turbulent marriage with Diana, and a public backlash after her death in 1997.
The video also reignited the debate over Charles and Camilla’s relationship, which was widely condemned by Diana’s fans and the media. Diana famously revealed in a 1995 BBC interview that there were “three of us” in her marriage, referring to Camilla, who was Charles’ longtime lover and former mistress. Diana and Charles divorced in 1996, a year before Diana died in a car crash in Paris, along with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. Charles and Camilla married in 2005, after obtaining the consent of the queen and the Church of England. Camilla was given the title of Duchess of Cornwall, instead of Princess of Wales, out of respect for Diana’s memory. However, she was officially named as the queen consort after Charles’ accession to the throne, despite the opposition from some of Diana’s supporters.
The video of Diana’s prank on Charles is one of the many examples of how her life and legacy continue to fascinate and influence the public, even decades after her death. Diana, who was known as the “people’s princess”, was widely admired for her humanitarian work, her fashion sense, and her charisma. She was also seen as a modern and relatable figure, who struggled with personal issues such as bulimia, depression, and infidelity. Her life and death have inspired numerous books, documentaries, movies, and TV shows, such as the recent biopic Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart, and the Netflix series The Crown, which portrayed her turbulent relationship with Charles and the royal family. Diana’s sons, William and Harry, have also carried on her legacy, by supporting various causes and charities that she was passionate about, such as mental health, AIDS, and landmines.