Catherine Oxenberg
An actress and princess-by-birth who channeled her royal lineage into playing royalty on screen, most notably as a young Princess Diana.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American actress·Birthday: September 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Catherine Oxenberg’s life reads like the plot of one of the prime-time soap operas that made her famous. The daughter of Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, she carried a regal bearing that made her a natural for television’s glamorous 1980s. While studying at Harvard, she was discovered by a modeling agent, leading to a cover of 'Bazaar' and a swift transition to acting. Her defining role came as Amanda Carrington on 'Dynasty,' a show built on wealth, shoulder pads, and scandal, where she held her own among television’s most famous schemers. Her real-life pedigree made her the obvious choice to portray a contemporary royal, and she played Diana, Princess of Wales, in two separate television movies. In later years, Oxenberg became an advocate, drawing public attention to the dangers of certain organizations after a personal family crisis. Her story is one of using the platform provided by inherited title and cultivated fame to navigate both the fantasy of Hollywood and very real-world issues.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Catherine was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Catherine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Catherine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- She played the recurring role of Amanda Carrington on the iconic 1980s prime-time soap opera 'Dynasty.'
- She portrayed Diana, Princess of Wales, in two television films: 'The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana' (1982) and 'Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After' (1992).
- She is a published author, having written a memoir and a book about her advocacy work.
- She served as a spokesperson for the Childhelp USA charity for many years.
Did You Know?
She is a first cousin once removed to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, through her mother's lineage.
She turned down the role of Krystle Carrington on 'Dynasty,' which later made Linda Evans famous.
She was a contestant on the 14th season of 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2012.
She attended Harvard University but left before graduating to pursue modeling and acting.
“My mother was a princess, but I had to find my own way in Hollywood.”
