Princess Diana’s Letter to Jamie Lee Curtis 2 Months Before Death
Jamie Lee Curtis Shares Touching Letter From Princess Diana Months Before Her Death
Jamie Lee Curtis is sharing her unforgettable interaction with a late icon.
The Freakier Friday star revealed the touching letter she received from Princess Diana after missing the opportunity to meet her and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, during their visit to the U.K. set of her 1997 film Fierce Creatures.
“We were shooting at Pinewood deep into the forest there,” Jamie explained in a Sept. 1 Instagram post. “When we finally took a break, I jumped in a golf cart and drove the mile back to the dressing room block to use the restroom. My driver started banging on the door, saying that she had arrived with her sons and I jumped into the golf cart and by the time I got back, she was walking away and I wasn’t going to chase her to tell her how much I admired her.”
The Oscar winner subsequently wrote a letter to Diana and had it delivered to Kensington Palace.
“The next day,” Jamie continued. “I received one back from her, thanking me for writing and understanding, of course, nature calling as it happens to her all the time and that she looked forward to meeting.”
And the letter became even more bittersweet when Jamie learned that Diana died two months later on Aug. 31, 1997, of injuries sustained in a car crash in Paris alongside her partner Dodi al-Fayed. She was 36.
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“I had just returned from England,” the Halloween actress recalled. “I remember watching the news and then turning it off knowing what the news would do and the recurring shots of that tunnel.”
And while Diana’s untimely passing was devastating for her, Jamie has since been able to reflect on the remarkable legacy the royal family member left behind.
“I certainly thought that she had learned to live wisely,” the 66-year-old said. “And I think we all remember the image of her with her arms outstretched after being away from her sons as they ran toward her. She loved them in a way a royal person never had and she really loved the world and so she did love well.”
Jamie added, “Even though that day, this day, I’m still moved by her and her grace and courage, I’m also comforted in knowing that she lived a mindful wise, loving life.”
For more on Diana’s legacy, keep reading.
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A Progressive Humanitarian
Princess Diana went far against the grain when she advocated for causes previously considered taboo amongst royals, including AIDS research, land mine removal and homelessness in the U.K. She was one of the first public figures to be photographed interacting physically with AIDS victims—a decision that helped destigmatize and lessen the public’s fear around the condition.
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New Approach to the Public’s Fascination
The paparazzi’s role in Princess Diana’s tragic passing actually brought the royal family and the press closer than ever before. After her death, the palace made agreements with the British media to ensure photographers wouldn’t overstep boundaries in an attempt to satiate public interest. As a result, we see more palace-organized photo calls and greater cooperation on both sides when it comes to balancing privacy and public figuredom.
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A Remarkably Open Book
Perhaps Diana’s most extraordinary influence on the royal family was her unprecedented vulnerability in the face of public scrutiny. She openly discussed her struggle with mental health (notably suffering from postpartum depression after giving birth to Prince William), and in her landmark interview with the BBC’s Martin Bashir Diana remarked, “Well, maybe I was the first person ever to be in this family who ever had a depression or was ever openly tearful. And obviously that was daunting, because if you’ve never seen it before how do you support it?”
Years later, William and Harry have kept their mother’s legacy alive by launching Heads Together, a campaign that works to change the U.K.’s conversation around mental health and wellbeing.
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Mixing Business With Pleasure
The princess made yet another impact on life behind palace doors by maintaining unusually laid back relationships with the royal staff. Her famously close friendship with butler Paul Burrell captivated headlines, and she reportedly set up play dates for Prince William and Harry with her employees’ children. Princess Di also encouraged her sons to participate in the kitchen, which might have inspired Kate Middleton’s decision to often prepare home-cooked meals for her family.
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Warm Welcome Home
Princess Di flipped the script on traditional royal birthing techniques by welcoming both her children outside Buckingham Palace, where Prince Charles was born decades before. This made Prince William the first future British monarch to be born in a hospital on June 21, 1982. Wills and the Duchess of Cambridge followed suit, welcoming Prince George and Princess Charlotte in the same medical center, St. Mary’s in London.
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Parenting as a Royal
Instead of putting her sons on a pedestal like the entire world had already done, Princess Diana made an effort to create a sense of normalcy for William and Harry. Her youngest explained in an interview, “She made the decision that no matter what, despite all the difficulties of growing up in that lime light and on that stage, she was going to ensure that both of us had as normal life as possible. And if that means taking us for a burger every now and then or sneaking us into the cinema, or driving through the country lanes with the roof down in her old school BMW to listen to Enya.”
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Family That Tours Together, Stays Together
When Diana and Prince Charles were to embark on their official tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1983, she insisted that Wills (then only 10-months-old) would join his parents on the road. Royal children never typically traveled on these trips, but Diana’s decision to keep her family together explains why Prince George and Princess Charlotte are now always included on overseas ventures.
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