The Crown season 5 introduces James Colthurst as the middleman between Princess Diana and Andrew Morton during the process of writing the book Diana: Her True Story. What the show does not include is the long history of friendship that James Colthurst and Diana shared, beginning in adolescence and continuing through Colthurst's recollections. More than just a deliveryman for the tapes that helped shape Morton's book, James Colthurst was an emotional pillar for Diana through the worst of her marriage, and influenced her philanthropic efforts with educating the public on HIV.

James Colthurst, himself the son of a Baronet, shared mutual friends with Princess Diana (then the daughter of a Viscount) since youth. Although he only appears briefly in one episode of The Crown, he was a major force in encouraging Diana to speak her side of the story and eventually leave her unhappy marriage with Charles. To this day,...