Jamie Lee Curtis recently shared a poignant memory of Princess Diana, recounting a near-miss just months before the princess’s tragic death at 36. The actress, now 66, originally posted the story on Instagram on August 31st, reflecting on the profound impact Diana had on her.
"Once I almost met Princess Diana," Curtis wrote in her post. "She came to visit the set of the follow-up to ‘A Fish Called Wanda,’ which was ‘Fierce Creatures’ (1997). We were filming deep in the woods at Pinewood. When we finally broke for a moment, I hopped onto 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 she had arrived with her sons. So, I got back on the cart. By the time I returned, she was already leaving. I wasn’t going to chase after her to tell her how much I admired her."
Curtis, who also included an image of Diana with Prince Harry and Prince William in her Instagram post, explained that she later wrote a letter to Diana. In it, she apologized for her absence and confessed her admiration for the royal. She made sure the letter reached Kensington Palace.
The very next day, a response from Diana arrived. "And the next day I got a reply from her, thanking me for writing and understanding, of course, the call of nature, as it happens to her constantly, and that she looked forward to us meeting," Curtis shared. "She died two months later."
Jamie Lee Curtis remembered "watching the news" of Diana’s death. She then turned off the TV and picked up a book on "introspective meditation" by Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein, which she kept on her nightstand. "I picked it up, and in the first few pages, it talked about how people trying to live a conscious life, at the time of their death, truly asked two questions: Did I learn to live wisely? Did I love well?" she recalled.
These questions immediately brought Princess Diana to Curtis’s mind, along with her earlier marriage to King Charles III.
"How she got out of that false and absurd marital contract, and how she spoke about her own personal problems and showed courage and compassion, putting her hand on the leg of the young man with HIV/AIDS and walking through the minefield," Curtis continued. "I certainly thought she had learned to live wisely."
Curtis concluded her heartfelt tribute by referencing the photo in her Instagram post. It showed Diana with her arms outstretched as William, now 43, and Harry, now 40, ran towards her.
"She loved them like no royal before and truly loved the world, so yes, she loved well," Curtis stated. "And though that day, and today, I am still moved by her, her grace and her courage, I am also comforted knowing that she lived a conscious, wise, and loving life."
Diana tragically died at 36 in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. Her brother, Charles Spencer, also paid tribute on social media this past Sunday, 28 years after her passing.
"Flowers we cut this morning from the Althorp gardens for the island," Spencer, 61, wrote on Instagram. He shared a beautiful bouquet and another photo of the private island on the Althorp estate in West Northamptonshire, England, where Diana is laid to rest. "Always an impossible day."
During a 2024 appearance on Good Morning Britain, Charles Spencer revealed that he visits Diana’s grave almost every day. The private island where the late princess rests is only reachable by boat and is not open to the general public. A bridge that once connected the island to the nearby estate was later removed to protect the family’s privacy.
In his 2022 memoir, "Spare," Prince Harry recalled visiting the grave on the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death with his wife, Meghan Markle. The couple, who married in 2018, are parents to Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
"No visit to this place was ever easy, but this one… the 25th anniversary," Harry wrote. "And Meg’s first time. Finally, I was bringing the girl of my dreams home to meet Mom."
Harry continued, "We hesitated, then hugged. I went first. I laid flowers on the grave. Meg gave me a moment. I spoke to my mother in my mind, telling her I missed her, asking for guidance and clarity. Thinking Meg might want her own time, I walked around the hedge and watched the pond. When I returned, Meg was kneeling, eyes closed, palms resting on the stone."