Wendy Holden 'MY LIFE WITH PRINCESS DIANA'

The author of The Princess, a fictionalised retelling of Princess Diana's life, recounts the moment her life collided with the royal

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I was a teenager when Princess Diana entered my life. It was early 1981 and she was all over the papers, the blonde who'd captured the heart of the dashing Prince of Wales. The girl who'd succeeded where everyone else had failed.

It was during my first job after leaving university. I was working on a small magazine aimed at foreign diplomats in London, a sort of Tatler for ambassadors. My main duty was to attend hundreds of parties, several a night, where eye-wateringly powerful drinks would be served. Well, someone had to do it and it was gratifying when this high-level diplomatic work was recognised with an invitation to a Buckingham Palace garden party. The Queen and Prince Philip would be there, and Charles. And Diana.

I was thrilled at the prospect of seeing Diana in the flesh and I wanted to hear her speak too. But how was I to meet her? Cunningly (and with their permission), I positioned myself next to a row of Chelsea Pensioners. As expected, she came up to chat. And so, for a few seconds, those huge blue eyes and that light, breathy voice were actually directed at me.