Naomi Watts to play Princess Diana in biopic

LONDON: British-Australian actress Naomi Watts is to play Britain's Princess Diana in a movie about the late royal's final two years, filmmakers have announced.

Producers said "Caught in Flight" would focus on a period when Diana, the former wife of heir to the throne Prince Charles, found "true personal happiness" shortly before her death in a 1997 car crash in Paris.

Diana wed Charles in a glittering ceremony in 1981, but the unhappy marriage ended in 1996. Charles wed his long-time companion Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005.

Watts, who won widespread critical acclaim for her role as Betty Elms in the 2001 psychological thriller "Mulholland Drive", said it was an honour to be able to play the "iconic role" of the woman known as the "People's Princess".

"Princess Diana was loved across the world and I look forward to rising to the challenge of playing her on screen," said the 44-year-old, who also won an Oscar nomination for her role as a recovering drug addict in "21 Grams".

The movie about the Princess of Wales, who was just 36 when she died, will be directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, best known for his epic 2004 film "Downfall" about the final days of Hitler. (AFP)

Diana Hayden to launch her book

Some beauty tips from former beauty queen Diana Hayden?
She is to launch her book “A Beautiful Truth” in Septemeber and says it kept her engaged for the last two years.

“I have put my two years of hard work and research into this book. There were days when I used to work for as many as 20 hours. I think after Miss World, it is my book on which I have worked so hard on,” Diana told reporters.

“Everything in this book is done by me, be it research or anything. The book is like an encyclopedia for women, who will find every information about make-up or body shape in it. So let me clarify that it is not only for models, but for every woman out there,” she added.

After making an appearance in the second season of reality show “Bigg Boss” (2008), she had been dormant of sorts.