Princess Diana's Eating Disorder To Be Featured in Children's Book

Princess Diana's experience with the eating disorder bulimia nervosa has been included as part of a new illustrated children's book, introducing young people to the late royal's life and legacy.

Diana is the latest British royal to be profiled in the Little People, Big Dreams series of books. These act as an introduction for children to some of the most-iconic public figures throughout history, both living and dead.

The series, authored by Spanish-born writer Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, contains over 100 books with subjects including Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III and has sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide.

Diana's entry in the series will be published just one week after the 26th anniversary of her death at the age of 36, from injuries sustained in a high-speed Paris car crash while being pursued by paparazzi.

During her lifetime, Diana broke a number of conventions, notably becoming the first member of the royal family to speak openly about their own mental-health issues and experiences with eating disorders.

The extent of the princess' struggle with bulimia nervosa (an illness that involves the binging and purging of food) was first revealed in the 1992 biography Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton.

The book had been written with Diana's involvement. The princess recorded interviews with a friend, and these were then passed on to Morton to work from. The royal press office denied that the princess had contributed to the book; the truth was revealed only after her death when the transcripts of her interviews were published.

In these, Diana revealed the role that her illness had had throughout her married life, starting in the months before her marriage, identifying it as a "release of tension."

By the time of her separation from Prince Charles (now King Charles III) in late 1992, the princess was in recovery and, by 1995, she was ready to go public with her experience.

It was during that year's polarizing BBC Panorama interview with journalist Martin Bashir that the royal opened up about her history with bulimia. Since its broadcast, the interview has become the subject of intense debate. An independent inquiry ordered by the BBC in 2021 found that Bashir had used "deceitful" behaviour towards Diana in his attempt to organize the scoop.

During the sit-down interview filmed at Kensington Palace, London, the princess said that she had bulimia for a number of years, describing it as like a secret disease.

"It's a repetitive pattern, which is very destructive to yourself," she said, before adding that she considered it to be an outward "symptom of what was going on in my marriage."

Diana's experience with bulimia is covered over two sections of the soon-to-be-published Little People, Big Dreams profile, featuring an illustration of the princess sat on a kitchen floor with an empty plate.

"Whenever she felt alone, she sought relief by eating all the cakes she could find in the royal kitchens," a caption accompanying the image reads, per U.K. newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

"But that sweet feeling of comfort didn't last long. Once it was gone, she would try to get rid of all the food she had eaten by making herself sick."

Another section shows an illustration of the royal with photographers and members of the public. The caption reads that "it took her time to seek help, learn to love herself and stop hurting her body." It adds that, when Diana did, she "felt better than ever."

The book credits the princess with being "one of the first famous people to speak up about her struggle with bulimia, helping others to confront it, too."

This is not the first time that the princess' experience with bulimia has been represented in the media. In 2020, the creators of Netflix's The Crown faced criticism from commentators and members of the public over the graphic representation of Diana's illness in its fourth season.

Episodes where scenes relating to the illness were shown carried a disclaimer, reading: "The following episode includes scenes of an eating disorder which some viewers may find troubling. Viewer discretion is advised."

If you or someone else needs help, contact your doctor or access the free resources provided by the National Eating Disorder Association.

Newsweek approached publishers Frances Lincoln Children's Books via email for comment.

Princess Diana, Little People, Big Dreams by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books, is available in the U.S. from September 5.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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