Critics slate Diana: In Her Own Words documentary as 'foolish, interminable'

It's sparked controversy ever since it was announced - but reviewers of a new Princess Diana documentary say it's barely worth your time.

Diana: In Her Own Words aired overnight in the UK, and is scheduled to be broadcast here on Prime later in the month under the title, Diana: Her Story.

It promises to follow her journey "from a shy newlywed to the most famous woman in the world, told using a unique archive which reveals the private Diana".

In it, Diana narrates her own story using archival audio, reportedly revealing a soul tortured by bulimia, crippled with self-doubt, and breaking down amid the pressure of a very public role and a marriage in tatters as the public believed her life was a fairy tale.

Channel 4 defended the tapes as "an important historical document" offering unique insights into Diana's life 20 years after her death on August 31, 1997.

But after its screening in the UK overnight, critics have slated the doco.

A critic for the Telegraph called it a "foolish title for a foolish documentary" and called its 90 minutes "interminable".

"To any royal obsessive, and many exist, there was nothing said by Diana, Princess of Wales to camera that hadn't already appeared in print," wrote critic Ben Lawrence.

"Generally this was unremarkable stuff, cobbling together the usual tabloid headlines and clips of the Princess looking miserable."

The Guardian said it was "heavily padded with archive footage".

"The film is also manipulative, scored with a gloomy flute constantly telling the audience how moved to be. The editing is slick, but also often sly," wrote reviewer Mark Lawson.

The Independent was a little more positive, but said, "we didn't, in truth learn much new about the late People's Princess, her husband, his mistress or her blameless sons than we knew before".

"We learned a little more excruciating detail than we needed or wanted to about the sex lives of the Prince and Princess of Wales."