Royal News

Princess Diana opens up about antidepressant use in letter to Terence Stamp


Diana, Princess of Wales, referenced antidepressants in a letter to Terence Stamp, dated October 17, 1991.


Princess Diana At A Banquet In New Zealand Wearing A Blue Chiffon Evening Dress Designed By Fashion Designers David And Elizabeth Emanuel© Tim Graham
JUNE 22, 2026 4:47 PM EDT

Diana, Princess of Wales, seemingly opened up about her use of antidepressants in a deeply personal letter to Terence Stamp.

The October 17, 1991, dated note, in which she thanked the late actor for her "perfect" risotto for lunch, is one of many items in his belongings that will be auctioned by Bonhams from June 15 until June 25.

Princess Diana - who met Terence through art dealer Oliver Hoare - penned, "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, Princess Of Wales Looking Sad During An Official Overseas Visit. She Is Wearing Pearl Necklace And Earrings And Holding A Bouquet Of Roses© Tim Graham
Diana, Princess Of Wales Looking Sad During An Official Overseas Visit. She Is Wearing Pearl Necklace And Earrings And Holding A Bouquet Of Roses

It is expected that the letter could sell between $2,000 and $2,600.

The following month, Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris, France's Pont de l'Alma tunnel in August 1997, aged 36 - brought up antidepressants in another letter to Terence, thanking him for lunch, this time caviar.

She wrote, "No Prozac withdrawals as yet!”

In December that year, she asked the Superman star for a lunch date, and she wrote her request on a postcard that featured a woman's boobs, with the caption: "All the Breast from London." Diana also sent him a card that showed a couple in bed, which was captioned: "Why did God invent SEX?"

The late royal cheekily wrote the answer to the question inside the card: "So that married people do something at least twice a year."

She also thanked Terence for the champagne at a "lunch a la yeast!"

Diana, Princess of Wales talking to American actor Michael Douglas with British actor Terence Stamp in the back -  at the London premiere of the film 'Wall Street'© Princess Diana Archive
Diana, Princess of Wales talking to American actor Michael Douglas with British actor Terence Stamp in the back - at the London premiere of the film 'Wall Street'

Terence was in a Bickley, South East London, care home when he died in August 2025 aged 87.

Also going under the hammer at Bonhams are the Academy Award-nominated actor’s Superman and Superman II scripts ($4,020–$6,700), the gray Prince of Wales check suit he wore in Wall Street ($4,020–$6,700), and a suit from his final film, Last Night in Soho, accompanied by a note from 52-year-old director Edgar Wright ($1,100–$1,300).

Claire Tole-Moir, head of popular culture at Bonhams, said, "Terence Stamp was not only an incredible actor whose long and varied career gave us many celebrated performances, he was also a defining figure of London in the swinging Sixties, emblematic of a certain style and charm."

Diana Princess Of Wales © Tim Graham
Diana Princess Of Wales

She added that the sale will "showcase the many sides of Terence Stamp, from costumes and scripts to his own furniture and fashion pieces, personal letters and era-defining photographs."

A statement from Bonhams added that the items reflect the “full breadth of the man: the actor, the writer, the style icon, the traveler, the seeker".

Actor Terence Stamp sits on the Diana, Princess of Wales garden bench at the Chelsea Flower Show. © William Conran - PA Images
Actor Terence Stamp sits on the Diana, Princess of Wales garden bench at the Chelsea Flower Show.

It continued, "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."