In Peaky Blinders Season 6 Episode 2, a new character debuted. I’m not talking about Jack Nelson but about Lady Diana, who surprised me quite a bit. Her persona is quite charismatic and domineering, manipulative, and almost passively vicious.
In the episode, we see her as Oswald Mosley’s mistress, equally passionate about his fascistic ambitions. She also fleetingly mentions meeting their friend in Berlin to build stronger connections with him, clearly referencing Hitler.
So who exactly is Lady Diana Mitford, and which real-life character is she based on?
Lady Diana Mitford is a British fascist who supports Oswald Mosley and believes in fascism as the future of politics in the UK. She is based on a real person of the same name, who also wanted the exact same things.
What does Lady Diana want in Peaky Blinders?
In episode 2, Lady Diana makes it abundantly clear that she wants Oswald Mosley to conquer the UK, make it his empire, and be the sole dictator. Besides that, she is also interested in doing business with Jack Nelson after Thomas mentions how even Jack carries the same hate for Jews.
However, Lady Diana seems quite manipulative and hypocritical. On one hand, she tells how even women should be involved in business conversations, and on the other hand, she undermines Lizzie by showing how she knows nothing about the business.
Although Diana might have this tiff with Lizzie, it’s merely a small issue for her in the larger scheme of things. Her main goals seem to be to marry Oswald, build stronger connections with Hitler, their friend in Berlin, and essentially take over the UK.
While this is the on-screen portrayal of the character, which real-life person is Lady Diana really based on. More importantly, how close is her arc in the show to reality?
The Real Story Behind Lady Diana Mitford
Lady Diana Mitford was an actual person and was known for numerous problems and scandals throughout her life. Even in real life, Diana was a fascist who had become Oswald Mosley’s mistress and later his wife.
Oswald Mosley, who at the time was the leader of the British Union of Fascists, was rallying support for Hitler and the Nazis. Even in World War II, the two urged Winston Churchill not to go into the war against Germany, but he didn’t listen.
Instead, Churchill imprisoned the two of them before they could do any more damage. Oswald Mosley and Lady Diana Mitford remained Nazi sympathizers until the end of their lives.
These two figures have had a fairly straightforward role in the war and politics during and after World War II. However, will the show portray Diana’s arc in the same manner?
Diana’s Arc in Peaky Blinders
Lady Diana seems far from a straightforward person. In fact, she somewhat reminds me of Gina Gray. There’s something about the way they say and do things that makes them come off as manipulative and makes us feel distrust towards them.
We can only find out how close Diana’s arc will be to reality in the upcoming episodes. But one thing’s for sure, her presence would be pretty significant in the show, and she might even astound us with her thoughts, beliefs, and actions. I don’t think she will betray Mosley, but there’s a great chance she’d mess with Tommy in ways even he wouldn’t expect.
About Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is a British period crime drama television series created by Steven Knight. Set in Birmingham, England, the series follows the exploits of the Shelby crime family and their leader Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) in the direct aftermath of the First World War.
The fictional family is loosely based on a real urban youth gang of the same name, active in the city from the 1890s to the early 20th century. It stars Cillian Murphy, Sam Claflin, Aidan Gillen, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Finn Cole, and Tom Hardy
Netflix, under a deal with Weinstein Company and Endemol, acquired the rights to release the show in the United States and around the world. In January 2021, it was announced that the sixth series would be the last, followed by a spin-off film. The final series was broadcast in 2022.
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