Princess Diana was one of the most popular and loved women around the world. Everyone wanted to meet her, shake hands and have at least a small talk. She was always open and approachable no matter who she was talking to. Many people described her as down-to-Earth and very humble, and she was known as a big humanitarian.
There were so many who met her, but there were also those who were lucky enough to spend more time with her than just to have a small talk. Here are 8 people who were something like a friend with her.
Elton John
Elton John and Princess Diana met at a birthday party at Windsor Castle in 1981, and they immediately became best friends. Elton was already a friend with some other royals, and Queen Mother and Princess Anne loved his music. The two became close, but there was a period of time they didn’t talk due to the book Rock and RoyaltyI by Gianni Versace and John. After Gianni Versace died, they started talking again. There were numerous times they hung out, for parties, many lunches and gossip dates, and when she died Elthon John sang “Candle in the Wind” as tribute to Diana.
Michael Jackson
Princess Diana loved Michael Jackson and she listened to his album Bad repeatedly. They met in 1988 at Jackson’s concert at Wembley Stadium. Michael said many times how nervous he was when met Princess Diana, but she was so eager to meet him, and after that they became very close friends. Even though that was the only time they met in person, they were on the phone a lot, talking about children, the press and private life. When Diana died Michael Jackson didn’t attend the funeral, but he attended a memorial service in Los Angeles.
Mother Teresa
As we had already said, Princess Diana was a great humanitarian, and she was always raising money for many organisations even when she stopped being a part of the Royal family. Princess Diana had a great wish to meet Mother Teresa, so in 1992 she flew to Rome for their first encounter. She felt “deep spirituality” when they talked for the first time, and that’s when the two women bonded over their desire to stop poverty. They were friends for five years, and after Diana’s tragic death, Mother Teresa died just five days later.
John Travolta
Princess Diana and John Travolta met at gala dinner and ball at the White House in 1985. John Travolta asked Diana for a dance which she gladly accepted. Even though the dance was staged by the First Lady Nancy Reagan, the two had a wonderful time and there are many photos proving the both were good dancers. They didn’t stay very close friends after, but John had the greatest privilege to dance with the Princess.
Cindy Crawford
Princess Diana was a huge fan of the supermodels and she always wanted to meet and hung out with them. She called supermodel Cindy Crawford to come to her home at Kensington Palace in 1995, for a surprise party for Prince William’s 13th birthday. Cindy recalled she was very nervous when she was supposed to meet them, but as soon as she went inside the house, she realised how humble Princess Diana was.
Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco
The two princesses met in 1981, just a week after Prince Charles and Diana announced their engagement. This was Diana’s first public showing as a fiancee and she felt very nervous, trying to fit in. Grace Kelly saw how uncomfortable it was for her to be there, took her to the bathroom and consulted her on a few things. Diana felt like she had found a friend in Grace, and the two became very close. Unfortunately the friendship didn’t last long as Grace died from a stroke just 18 months after their first encounter. Diana was devastated and decided to go to a funeral, which Charles thought was a bad idea. She then went to the Queen who approved so she went to the ceremony.
Liza Minnelli
Two ladies met at one of Liza’s concerts and boned over the issues they both had with the press. They became very good friends and over time they started going out for dinner, tea, or after parties. Princess Diana felt like she could be just a normal woman from the neighbourhood when she was with Liza, and Liza felt the need to protect her. Liza was devastated when she heard about Diana’s death, feeling like she had failed in protecting her.
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
The couple met Princess Diana at the Backdraft film premiere in 1991 and were there for her at the roughest period of her life. They offered their ranch in Colorado as a shelter when she needs it, as she used that in 1995, when she wanted to spend some private time with her sons. At that time Kurt and Goldie were denying that she was there, saving her privacy as any good friends would do, but a few years ago Kurt said she actually did stay there and that they were very close friends.