Princess Diana’s Secret Hell Revealed — Her Secretary Shares Shocking Details About Her Battles With Food
It’s no secret that Princess Diana suffered through a lot of demons in her short time on earth, especially when it came to adjusting to life with the royal family. Her personal secretary, Patrick Jephson, however, is revealing new details about Diana’s struggle with the eating disorder, anorexia.
According to Radar Online, Jephson opened up about Diana’s battle with food during the Hudson Society event held in New York. Jephson doesn’t remember when he first noticed that Diana suffered from anorexia, but he claims her struggles came from a need to fit in with the royal family. Her problems worsened after she divorced Prince Charles.
“But Diana, she ultimately, very bravely admitted that she had a relationship with food which she described it herself, was ‘her wish to dissolve, to disappear,” he explained. “It’s perhaps a little complicated, and I’m no psychiatrist. But she had felt like an outsider. She had felt that way as a young girl, and certainly still did as a princess.”
Instead of shying away from the limelight, however, Diana started taking a bigger role within the family. She even worked with charities that other members of the family refused to help because of their outsider status. In fact, Princess Diana felt right at home with these outsiders and felt like she could relate.
“She started to do some really challenging stuff. First with AIDS in this city in 1989. We went to the Harlem hospital center, and she went to the AIDS unit there, and she picked up a little African American baby dying of AIDS, and this was the first time — the director of the hospital told me — the first anybody in public life in the United States had mentioned AIDS,” he shared.
By the time she died, Diana had helped charities that dealt with AIDS, homelessness, substance abuse, Leprosy, and domestic violence. She turned her divorce and unhappy public life into an advantage for others.
In addition to Jephson’s revelations, People reports that her brother, Charles, recently discussed their childhood and admitted it wasn’t easy. Although Diana has been described as a spirited child, Charles revealed that they were left alone after their mom and dad divorced. Charles’ interview is part of a two-part television event, titled The Story of Diana, which is set to premiere on ABC next month. The special includes some home video of a young Diana and Charles playing around with each other at their home in Althorp.
The documentary also features exclusive interviews with members of Diana’s family and close friends. Many of the interviewees are speaking out because next month is the 20th anniversary of Diana’s tragic death. For Charles, he believes now is the time to start recording Diana’s history and the impact she made on the world.
“One of the reasons I wanted to talk now is because I think after 20 years, somebody shifts from being a contemporary person to one of history, actually,” Charles shared. “And Diana deserves a place in history. This was a special person and not just a beautiful one.”
It isn’t known if the documentary will explore Princess Diana’s eating disorder. The Story of Diana: Part One airs August 9 on ABC.
[Featured Image by Patrick Riviere/Getty Images]
