Jamie Lee Curtis recalls 'moving' encounter with Princess Diana just two months before her death

Jamie Lee Curtis had a near-miss encounter with Diana, Princess of Wales, on the set of a beloved movie just months before she died in a car crash in Paris.

Last weekend (31 August) marked the 28th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. The royal had been travelling in a Mercedes-Benz, which crashed into the Pont de l’Alma tunnel at top speed, killing driver Henri Paul and Egyptian filmmaker Dodi Fayed.

The mother-of-two died in a hospital from injuries she sustained in the crash. Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the only survivor.

To honour the anniversary of the Princess’s death, Curtis, 66, took to Instagram to pen an anecdotal note discussing the time they almost met.

According to the Freakier Friday star, Diana had visited the set of Fierce Creatures, the spiritual successor to 1998’s A Fish Called Wanda, on the same day that Curtis was filming scenes.

“We were shooting at Pinewood deep into the forest there. When we finally took a break, I jumped in a golf cart and drove the mile back to the dressing room block to use the restroom,” she explained.

“My driver started banging on the door, saying that [Diana] had arrived with her sons and I jumped into the golf cart and by the time I got back, she was walking away and I wasn't going to chase her to tell her how much I admired her.

“The next day I wrote a letter saying why I wasn't there and how much I admired her and had it delivered to Kensington Palace and the next day I received one back from her, thanking me for writing and understanding, of course, nature calling as it happens to her all the time and that she looked forward to meeting.”

Curtis wrote that she never did get the chance to meet the Princess in person again as she died two months later, aged 36.

“I remember watching the news and then turning it off knowing what the news would do and the recurring shots of that tunnel,” she recalled.

The Oscar winner claimed that a book on mediation was by her bedside at the time of Diana’s death, and reading it led her to question whether she had ‘learned to live wisely’ and if she’d ‘loved well’.

The actor continued: “I immediately thought about Princess Diana and her learning to live wisely. How she got out of that b*****t sham contract of a marriage and how she talked about her own personal issues and demonstrated courage and compassion, putting her hand on the leg of the young man with HIV/AIDS and walking in the minefield.

“I certainly thought that she had learned to live wisely.”

Curtis added: “And I think we all remember the image of her with her arms outstretched after being away from her sons as they ran toward her.

“She loved them in a way a royal person never had and she really loved the world and so she did love well and even though that day, this day, I'm still moved by her and her grace and courage, I'm also comforted in knowing that she lived a mindful wise, loving life.”

Curtis’ post has seen hundreds of fans swarming to the comments section to also pay their respects, with one Instagram user typing: “I’m not a royal fan, but I loved her. Still do. I watched her wedding and her funeral and everything in between. This was a very sad day.”

A second added: “I don't usually read stories on here to the full but yours was so moving... this was why the world loved her! Thank you for sharing this.”

A third commented: “Beautiful tribute to a beautiful soul. She was and always be The People’s Queen Diana. The world is a better place because of her. Her life and memory will always a Blessing!”

Someone else remarked: “We will never encounter such a graceful lady on this planet again. She will always be a Queen in my heart.”

Diana’s remains were laid to rest at her ancestral home, Althorp, at the directive of her brother, Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer.

The maternal uncle of William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, said the memorial on Oval Lake is only accessible via boat for maximum security reasons.

Marking the anniversary of his sister’s death last month, Charles took to Instagram and wrote: “Beautiful flowers, left yesterday by Althorp's visitors. We are open for July and August each year, by an arrangement reached with the UK Government in 1992. Strange to think that that summer season is bookended by 1 July - Diana’s birthday - and 31 August - the day she died.”