Jamie Lee Curtis has reflected on a moment when she almost met Princess Diana, sharing her memories on the 28th anniversary of the late royal’s death.
The actress, 66, revealed in an Instagram post on Sunday, August 31, that she “almost met” Diana in 1997 while filming Fierce Creatures, the follow-up to A Fish Called Wanda, at Pinewood Studios.
Sharing a photograph of Diana with her arms outstretched to her young sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, Ms Curtis wrote: “She was to visit the set of the follow-up to A Fish Called Wanda, Fierce Creatures, and we were shooting at Pinewood [studios, 20 miles west of London]…”
Ms Curtis explained that during a break from filming, she “jumped in a golf cart and drove the mile back to the dressing room to use the restroom,” and in that brief moment, Diana arrived on set with her children.
Princess Diana was a highly loved figure all over the world | PA“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,” Ms Curtis said.
The Freaky Friday star recalled that she sent a letter to Kensington Palace the next day apologising for missing the meeting and expressing her admiration for Diana. To her surprise, she quickly received a reply.
“[She was] 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. She died two months later,” Ms Curtis said.
“I had just returned from England. I remember watching the news..."
Diana died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, aged 36, alongside Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.
Ms Curtis said that after hearing the news of the princess’s death, she reached for a book about “insight meditation,” which discussed people striving to live mindfully at the time of their death.
“I immediately thought about Princess Diana and her learning to live wisely....She talked about her own personal issues and demonstrated courage and compassion…” she 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.”
Jamie Lee Curtis at the premiere for Freaky Friday
|REUTERS
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The Oscar-winning actress concluded: “I’m still moved by her grace and courage.”
Princess Diana remains one of the most beloved figures of the 20th century, remembered for her compassion and humanitarian work.
From her groundbreaking efforts to break stigma around HIV and AIDS to her campaign against landmines, she left a lasting legacy.
Her influence continues to shape the modern monarchy and inspire admirers around the world.