BellaSugar

Bella Donna: Diana, Princess of Wales

BellaSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:17:29 PDT

A Bella Donna is more than just a pretty face. Sometimes she starts a trend, other times her impact isn't realized until decades after her debut. And then there are a few who become legendary, like this week's choice, Diana, Princess of Wales. Born Diana Spencer, she was not the "commoner" many people initially imagined her to be; she was born into an aristocratic family, which was a requirement for her to marry Charles, Prince of Wales. Their 1981 wedding was watched by almost one billion people, and their divorce was a hot tabloid topic. But Diana's charity work showed her great compassion, and her death-which happened ten years ago tomorrow-plunged the world into sorrow.

From her early days in the media spotlight to her unexpected death, Diana's personal style inspired countless women to copy her look. Most women couldn't afford her luxurious ballgowns, but they could manage to mimic her short blonde hairstyle. In the early '80s, she favored a feathered look, but it always kept up with the times-often setting off trends with a snip of the scissors. She didn't have a perfect life; she struggled with depression, bulimia and a failed marriage. Still-and maybe partly because of her resilience-she remains one of the 20th century's most influential beauties. Diana would have been 46 this past July.

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Video: Naomi Watts's Road to Playing Princess Diana

Karli Bulnes — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:36:49 PST

Naomi Watts has been tapped to play Princess Diana in the upcoming biopic Caught in Flight. Find out who she beat out for the role and why she's a perfect pick in PopSugar Rush.

Britney, Diddy, Kim, Miranda, and More Honor Whitney Houston at Clive Davis's Pre-Grammy Party

Lauren Turner — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:29:56 PST

Stars came out to attend Clive Davis's pre-Grammy party at the Beverly Hilton in LA last night despite the tragic news of Whitney Houston's death yesterday afternoon. Clive, who started Whitney's career and remained close to the singer, asked that guests observe a moment of silence for Whitney during the event and shared, "She loved music and loved this night that celebrated music. Whitney would have asked that the music go on. And her family said the show should go on." Clive was just one of many celebrities who commented on Whitney's death yesterday, including Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey.

Britney Spears and her fiancé, Jason Trawick, got the annual celebration going, as did Kim Kardashian and Richard Branson, who was honored at the gala. Jennifer Lopez, Diana Ross, Tom Hanks, and others walked the carpet while Diddy, Miranda Lambert, Alicia Keys, and more took the stage during the event. The musical fun is just getting started since the main event, the Grammy Awards, will take place later today with Jennifer Hudson expected to sing a tribute to Whitney.

Naomi Watts and Robin Wright Show Off Their Beach Bodies For the Cameras

Lauren Turner — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:06:00 PST

Naomi Watts and Robin Wright lounged atop the sand on the set of The Grandmothers in Sydney yesterday. Robin wore a bikini for the scene while Naomi covered up in a one-piece swimsuit. Naomi traveled to her native Australia with her family last month. She went to Bronte Beach with partner Liev Schreiber and sons Sasha and Samuel, made an appearance at Centennial Park, and was spotted jogging with Liev earlier this week. Naomi's since switched gears to work and has spent the last few days filming with Robin. The Grandmothers is one of Naomi's many projects, since she also recently signed on to portray Princess Diana, saying, "It is such an honor to be able to play this iconic role."

What Gwyneth Paltrow Gifted Baby Blue Ivy Carter

Allie Merriam — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:43:42 PST

Details on Gwyneth's luxe gift to Blue Ivy Carter - Us Weekly
Johnny Depp's "personal life" pushes back production on his next movie - Lainey Gossip
Naomi Watts will play Princess Diana in a new movie - HuffPost Ent
Find out which celebs tripped on the runway last night - TooFab
Tina Knowles says Blue Ivy Carter is "doing great"! - People
A history of Daniel Radcliffe's post-Potter scandals - The Daily Beast
Is Macauley Culkin OK? - ET
Will you get a Star Wars fix this weekend? - Rotten Tomatoes
Reese Witherspoon really wants more kids - Wonderwall
Donald Trump jumps to Gisele's defense - Lifeline Live
Jennifer Lawrence dishes on The Hunger Games sequels - Zap2It
Chelsea Handler has nothing but love for "down-to-earth" Jennifer Aniston - Celebitchy

Princess Diana's Letters as a Young Newlywed Up For Auction

Annie Scudder — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:45:25 PDT

As a 20-year-old new wife and princess, Diana Spencer maintained a connection to her former ordinary life by keeping up a pen pal relationship with a former colleague. Margaret Hodge, a teacher twice Diana's age who worked with the would-be queen when she was a simple kindergarten teaching assistant, acted as Diana's confidant after her wedding of the century. Now, Mrs. Hodge is putting her collection of Christmas cards, royal wedding invitations, and personal letters up for auction, as other friends of Diana's have done before. They're expected to fetch close to $40,000.

Describing Highgrove, one of her royal residences, Diana's desire to play the everyday in-love couple shines through: "It honestly won't look smart," she writes. "Just a cosy nest for Mr & Mrs Wales to roost with bright colours of course!" Yet in another letter, Diana describes Prince Charles's disinterest in her, writing, "I've vanished down many a hole - the husband having not realised - typical."

While Diana's former friend will make a pretty penny off the endearing correspondences, timely again now that her son William is a newlywed himself, it doesn't seem like enough to hand over such personal mementos. Something tells me Mrs. Hodge has kept some for herself.

The Diana+ For Digital: First Impressions and Sample Pics!

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:49:40 PST

Photojojo was kind enough to send me the plastic Diana+ lens and digital adapter ($60) last week, allowing me to ditch the film while still getting that lo-fi feel to my images. Coming with three distance settings (1-2m, 2-4m, and Infinity), the Diana+ lens is a fun addition to your digital lens arsenal. Good news, plastic camera fans: if you already have a Diana+ lens, you can get the adapter for just $15.

Snapping on the lens is a breeze - just attach the adapter to your Canon or Nikon DSLR, then twist the lens on to the adapter and away you go. I found that the Diana+ works best when shooting in natural light outside, as opposed to indoors, and capturing pops of color. If you do grab this lens for your digital, don't bother trying to get close-up and macro images; that's not what this lens is for. It definitely creates a dreamy ambiance for your pics, so strap it on next time you're at the park with your friends, watching a parade, or taking a walk around town.

Want to see a few unretouched sample images? Click through the gallery!

Interest in Princess Diana Resurges

Annie Scudder — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:45:49 PDT

Princess Diana would have turned 50 on July 1, and although she died tragically 14 years ago, interest in the people's princess has not faded. In fact, it seems to be gaining.

Fascination with the royals has picked up steam since the April wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and some of Diana's former confidants have used the regained popularity as a chance to offer their private mementos to the public for sale. An old teacher friend put Diana's personal letters up for auction, and the dress Diana wore while dancing with John Travolta at a US state dinner sold last week for nearly $1 million.

There has also been a darker response on the eve of her birthday. On its latest cover, Newsweek aged Princess Diana using Photoshop and made it appear as if she was walking next to her doting daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton. Inside the magazine readers can find a mocked-up version of her would-be Facebook page. Most of our readers found the concept unsettling.

And while some ponder what her life would have been, others are focusing on her death, specifically the filmmaker behind a new documentary, Unlawful Killing, which criticizes the royal family and alleges that there was a cover-up following her death. The movie, financed by the family of Diana's boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed, is directed by Keith Allen, the dad of singer Lily Allen, and it alleges that a UK jury found that the Paris car crash was not an accident. The controversial doc, banned in the UK but shown at Cannes, is gaining distribution deals.

Considering intrigue surrounding other icons who met a tragic fate - like Marilyn Monroe or the Kennedys - has transcended generations, I doubt the public will lose interest in Diana any time soon.

Kate Middleton Chooses Charities: See Her Sweetest Charitable Moments

Tara Sharp — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:40:52 PST

Accomplishing one of her most important royal duties as wife to Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, has selected the charities she'll support. Kate has become a patron of Action on Addiction, the National Portrait Gallery, East Anglia's Children's Hospices, and The Art Room. And the former Brownie has also signed on to volunteer with the Scout Association.

Kate's also following in her late mother-in-law's footsteps, as Princess Diana was dedicated to charitable work and working with organizations to help the underprivileged. And while we saw Will and Kate's devotion to helping others when the royal couple asked for donations to charity instead of wedding gifts, Kate's already begun her charitable work since their big day. From greeting young cancer patients to packing relief boxes to attending glamorous charity events, let's look back at some of Kate's sweetest charitable moments!

Imagining Diana at 50: Are You Curious?

Tara Sharp — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:10:00 PDT

This Friday, July 1, would have been Princess Diana's 50th birthday, so this week's issue of Newsweek imagines what Diana's life would be like if she were alive at 50.

The issue's cover features a superimposed image of a digitally aged Diana walking with Kate Middleton, and the story inside includes everything from what her Facebook page and Twitter would look like to her future fashion to her imagined love life - according to the magazine, she would have been married two more times.

Do you find this all interesting, or does it seem a bit on the morbid side, maybe even disrespectful?