Unearthed Princess Diana Letter Reveals Candid Admission About Antidepressants to Hollywood Star
Princess Diana's candid letters with actor Terence Stamp reveal a side of her rarely seen by the public.
Since her engagement to King Charles, Princess Diana has been in the limelight, but there are several aspects of her personal life we still don't know about. Although she passed away almost three decades ago, her fans and royal enthusiasts are still interested in learning more about her. This surge has led them to rediscover a deeply personal letter she wrote in 1991 to Terence Stamp. The personal correspondence has once again offered a rare glimpse into her private life, revealing her candid thoughts on antidepressants, mental health, and the friendships she cherished away from the public spotlight.
Dating back to October 17, 1991, a series of letters and cards written by the late Princess of Wales are among the personal belongings set to be auctioned by Bonhams. Addressed to Stamp, Diana, in those letters, thanked the actor for "perfect" risotto for lunch. However, one particularly notable letter, dated October 17, 1991, appears to reference Diana’s use of antidepressants. Written after a lunch gathering, the princess expressed gratitude for the hospitality she had received and reflected on the support of a close friend during what she described as a complicated time.
In the note, Diana wrote, “Not many people would take the time and trouble to delve into such a complex situation…Three cheers for Prozac, not the American variety, I hasten to add! Lots of love, Terence, and a huge thank you, from Diana x.” Diana and Stamp met through art dealer Oliver Hoare and have ever since been close buddies, and the letters are living proof of their bond. The letter will be auctioned by Bonhams from June 15 until June 25 and is to fetch between $2,000 and $2,600, revealed HOLA.
The correspondence offers a rare insight into Diana’s willingness to discuss mental health issues at a time when such conversations were far less common than they are today. While the exact context behind her reference remains unclear, the remark highlights her openness and her ability to inject humor into difficult circumstances. A month later, Diana again touched on the subject in another letter. Thanking her friend for a lunch featuring caviar, she jokingly reassured him, “No Prozac withdrawals as yet!”
Beyond the references to antidepressants, the collection also reveals the playful and mischievous side of the princess that was often reserved for those closest to her. In December 1991, Diana requested a lunch date through a postcard featuring a humorous illustration of a woman’s breasts and the caption: “All the Breast from London.” Another card showed a couple in bed alongside the question: “Why did God invent S--?” Never one to miss an opportunity for a joke, Diana penned, “So that married people do something at least twice a year.”
