Netflix release archive footage of Princess Diana’s 1983 tour of Australia for Crown fans

Fans are going wild for Netflix’s season four of The Crown – as Princess Diana (actress Emma Corrin) has finally been introduced to the popular drama’s cast.

Now the streaming platform has released a special ‘Beneath The Crown: The True Story of Charles & Diana’s Australia Tour’ video on YouTube with 1983 file footage.  

The 10-minute clip not only provides context and tidbits of the royal tour, but also showcases the remarkable effort that has gone in to accurately recreating the tour for TV viewers.

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Netflix have released archive footage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s 1983 tour of Australia for devoted Crown fans to showcase the remarkable TV recreation for the drama

British radio and television presenter Anita Rani retraces their epic journey with contributions from actors Emma Corrin (Diana) and Josh O’Connor (Charles), alongside stunning archive footage of key moments from the tour.

The return of the popular drama on November 15 introduced an episode recreating Prince Charles and Diana’s 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Footage is shown of Princess Diana and Prince Charles in the Northern Territory, which is contrasted with a scene from the new season with Uluru in the background.

The presenter claimed the moment Princess Diana broke royal protocol by asking for a glass of water in the heat made her more relatable.

Actress Emma claimed: ‘It baffles me that anyone was surprised that there was an element to which she couldn’t cope or that she struggled.’ 

TV moment: Actors Emma Corrin (Princess Diana) and Josh O’Connor (Prince Charle) portray the royal's Northern Territory trip to  Uluru in the fourth season of The Crown

TV moment: Actors Emma Corrin (Princess Diana) and Josh O’Connor (Prince Charle) portray the royal’s Northern Territory trip to  Uluru in the fourth season of The Crown

Princess Diana and Prince Charles are pictured visiting Uluru in March 1983

 Princess Diana and Prince Charles are pictured visiting Uluru in March 1983

'It baffles me that anyone was surprised that there was an element to which she couldn't cope or that she struggled': Actress Emma spoke of the moment Princess Diana ruffled feathers by breaking royal protocol by asking for a glass of water in the heat near Uluru

 ‘It baffles me that anyone was surprised that there was an element to which she couldn’t cope or that she struggled’: Actress Emma spoke of the moment Princess Diana ruffled feathers by breaking royal protocol by asking for a glass of water in the heat near Uluru

‘It baffles me that anyone was surprised that there was an element to which she couldn’t cope or that she struggled’: 

Remarkable likeness to reality was also seen when footage was shown from the royals meeting with Prime Minister Bob Hawke on March 23, 1983. 

In Tasmania, Prince Charles doted on Princess Diana during a speech, to which has been included in the new season of The Crown.

Actor Josh claims the episode featuring the tour is ‘such an important episode for their story, it almost tells their happiest moments and then some resurgence that happens with Diana that becomes the love of a nation.’ 

Then: Footage was shown from the royals meeting with Prime Minister Bob Hawke on March 23, 1983

Now: The TV show recreated the moment royals met with Prime Minister Bob Hawke in 1983

Then and now: Remarkable likeness to reality was also seen when footage was shown from the royals meeting with Prime Minister Bob Hawke on March 23, 1983

Flashback: In Tasmania, Prince Charles doted on Princess Diana during a speech, to which has been included in the new season of The Crown

Flashback: In Tasmania, Prince Charles doted on Princess Diana during a speech, to which has been included in the new season of The Crown

Double take: The scene in the crown has made sure to keep the royals' attire as close to their original garments as possible

Double take: The scene in the crown has made sure to keep the royals’ attire as close to their original garments as possible

However, the cast and crew of the award-winning show did not travel across the globe to portray some of the former couple’s most iconic moments.

Instead, they substituted various locations around Spain for Australia, with the addition of clever digital effects. 

Emma Corrin, who plays the late Princess Diana, shares scenes with actor Josh O’Connor, who plays Prince Charles and a small child as their firstborn, Prince William.

One scene shows Diana handing Prince William a koala plush toy as they appear to venture into the outback, near Uluru. 

'It almost tells their happiest moments': Actor Josh O’Connor (Prince Charles) claims the episode featuring the tour is 'such an important episode for their story'

‘It almost tells their happiest moments’: Actor Josh O’Connor (Prince Charles) claims the episode featuring the tour is ‘such an important episode for their story’

Trip Down Under: Emma Corrin, who plays the late Princess Diana, shares the scene with actor Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles and a small child as their firstborn, Prince William

Trip Down Under: Emma Corrin, who plays the late Princess Diana, shares the scene with actor Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles and a small child as their firstborn, Prince William

The city of Malaga was used for Sydney, while the desert near the port city of Almería was used as the backdrop for their visit to Uluru.

In March 1993, the royal couple had visited the Northern Territory in very similar clothing as to what is depicted on screen. 

In another still from the show, the actors are seen enjoying a picnic outing as a family in a rural landscape with sheep in a gated pen behind them.    

Recreating real life: The city of Malaga was used for Sydney, while the desert near the port city of Almería was used as the backdrop for their visit to Uluru

Recreating real life: The city of Malaga was used for Sydney, while the desert near the port city of Almería was used as the backdrop for their visit to Uluru

The Netflix series, which was filmed from August 2019 to March 2020, also hired extras with Australian accents to help add to the Australian environment they constructed in Spain.

Emma was originally contacted to read as Diana alongside co-star Josh O’Connor in 2018 after he’d landed the role of Prince Charles, as The Crown bosses tried to find the right actress to play Camilla Parker-Bowles.

The star was not auditioning for the role of Diana, but her speech efforts impressed the team so much, she was offered the role eight months later.

Incredible: Last month, Netflix's official Instagram account for The Crown shared its first glimpse of Princess Diana’s wedding dress for the show

Incredible: Last month, Netflix’s official Instagram account for The Crown shared its first glimpse of Princess Diana’s wedding dress for the show

The Crown’s fourth series begins as the 1970s are drawing to a close, with the Royal Family preoccupied with safeguarding the line of succession by securing an appropriate bride for Prince Charles, who is still unmarried at 30.

Last month, Netflix’s official Instagram account for The Crown shared its first glimpse of Princess Diana’s wedding dress for the show.

‘Emmy award-winning costume designer Amy Roberts wanted to capture the same spirit and style of David & Elizabeth Emanuel’s original design, without creating a replica for Emma Corrin,’ the caption read.

The Crown season four is now streaming on Netflix

Out now: The Crown season four premiered on Netflix on Sunday, November 15

Out now: The Crown season four premiered on Netflix on Sunday, November 15