Princess Diana’s private correspondence with actor Terence Stamp is offering a rare glimpse into the late royal’s personal life, with newly revealed letters showing her joking about Prozac and exchanging playful messages about s-x as she reveled in an unexpectedly warm friendship with the acclaimed actor.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the tragic Princess of Wales, who died aged 36 in 1997 in a high-speed Paris car smash, developed a close friendship with Stamp, who died last year aged 86.
Their relationship has now come into sharper focus through a collection of letters, postcards, and personal items from the actor’s estate due to be auctioned by Bonhams on June 15 as part of its Sound & Cinema sale.
The correspondence dates from the early 1990s, a turbulent period in Diana’s life that preceded the publication of Andrew Morton’s explosive biography Diana: Her True Story, which exposed the brutal extent of her unhappiness within her marriage to the then-Prince Charles.
A close friend and advisor of Diana’s told us: “These letters reveal a side of Diana that the public rarely got to see. There is humor, warmth, and a level of trust that speaks volumes about the friendship she shared with Terence. What stands out is how comfortable she felt discussing personal matters while also showing a playful and mischievous sense of humor.”
Another insider added: “The correspondence captures a relationship built on mutual respect and understanding. Diana clearly valued Terence as someone she could speak openly with at a time when she was under enormous pressure.”
In one letter written in October 1991, Diana thanked Stamp for preparing lunch and expressed gratitude for his support. She said, “Touched to the core by your understanding of my job/role and what comes with it!”
The princess then made a light-hearted reference to antidepressants. Diana noted, “Three cheers for Prozac, not the American variety I hasten to add!”
One month later, Diana wrote again after another lunch with the actor, this time thanking him for serving caviar before joking about her well-being.
“No Prozac withdrawals as yet!” she joked.
The correspondence also reveals a playful side to the royal. In December 1991, Diana sent Stamp a humorous postcard featuring a bare female breast and the caption “All The Breast from London.”
Another card thanked the actor for the champagne enjoyed during what she described as a “lunch a la yeast!” The card featured a cartoon couple in bed beneath the caption “Why did God invent S-X?” Inside was the punchline “So that married people do something at least twice a year.”
Sources familiar with the collection said the letters demonstrate how Diana used humor and trusted friendships to navigate the intense scrutiny and personal challenges she faced during that period of her life.
The messages form part of a wider auction celebrating Stamp’s life and career. Claire Tole-Moir, head of popular culture at Bonhams, said the sale would “showcase the many sides of Terence Stamp” and shed light on his relationships with figures including Jean Shrimpton and Julie Christie, as well as his friendship with Diana.
Also included in the sale are personal photographs and costumes linked to some of Stamp’s best-known screen appearances, including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Far from the Madding Crowd, Last Night in Soho, and Wall Street.
In a statement, Stamp’s estate said the collection reflected the “full breadth of the man: the actor, the writer, the style icon, the traveller, the seeker.”
It added: “Terence lived with great intention – everything he surrounded himself with was chosen for a reason, whether a finely made suit, a piece of art, or a letter from a dear friend.”