When Diana Spencer walked into Westminster Abbey in 1981, she looked like the physical embodiment of a fairy tale. She was twenty, glowing, and wrapped in twenty-five feet of silk taffeta. But behind that heavy veil, a different story was already unfolding. People often ask, was Princess Diana bulimia or was it just a rumor fueled by the tabloids? It wasn’t a rumor. It was a brutal reality she lived with for nearly a decade.
She eventually told the world herself.
In her famous 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir, Diana described her bulimia as a "secret disease" and a "symptom of what was going on in my marriage." It wasn't about vanity. It wasn't about wanting to fit into a certain dress size for a gala. It was a cry for help.
The Origins of a Secret Struggle
The timeline of her illness is actually quite specific. Diana traced the onset of her eating disorder back to the week after she became engaged to Prince Charles in early 1981. She was nineteen years old. Imagine the pressure. One day you’re a nursery school assistant, and the next, you are the most photographed woman on the planet.
According to her recorded interviews with Andrew Morton for the biography Diana: Her True Story, Charles apparently put his hand on her waist and said, "Oh, a bit chubby here, aren't we?"
That was the spark.
She described a "release of tension" that happened the first time she made herself sick. It became a mechanism. A way to cope with the suffocating atmosphere of the royal "Firm" and the looming shadow of Camilla Parker Bowles. By the time the wedding rolled around, her waist had shrunk from 29 inches to 23 inches. The dressmakers had to literally sew her into her gown because she kept losing weight.
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Bulimia is rarely just about food. For Diana, it was a way to exert control over a life where she felt she had none. She was lonely. She felt rejected by her husband. She felt misunderstood by her in-laws. When you can’t control your environment, you control your intake.
Why It Stayed Hidden for So Long
You have to remember the era. The 1980s weren't exactly a time of "mental health awareness." The Royal Family, in particular, operated under the "stiff upper lip" policy. If there was a problem, you ignored it until it went away. Or you pretended it didn't exist.
Diana mentioned that the people around her saw her weight loss and the frequency of her disappearances to the bathroom, but they labeled her as "unstable." They used the bulimia as a way to dismiss her valid emotional concerns. If she was upset about Charles's affair, it was just "Diana being difficult" because of her "illness."
Honestly, it’s heartbreaking.
She was binging and purging several times a day at the height of the disorder. She described it as a "shameful" cycle. She would come home from a grueling public engagement where she had been "performing" the role of the happy princess, and she would find solace in the kitchen. Then the guilt would hit. Then the purge.
It’s a violent cycle. It wears down your throat, your teeth, and your heart.
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The Panorama Revelation and the Aftermath
When the Panorama interview aired, it sent shockwaves through the UK. No royal had ever spoken like that. She called her bulimia a "refuge." She admitted that she didn't like herself and was ashamed because she couldn't cope with the pressures.
Critics at the time were harsh. Some called her manipulative. Others said she was oversharing. But for thousands of women and men suffering in silence, it was a lighthouse.
Before Diana spoke up, eating disorders were tucked away in the shadows of "polite society." She humanized the struggle. She showed that you could be beautiful, wealthy, and powerful, and still be dying inside. She broke the stigma by simply saying, "I did this."
Was Princess Diana Bulimia? The Recovery Phase
The good news—and the part people often skip—is that she did get better. By the early 1990s, Diana had sought professional help. She worked with therapists and nutritionists. She began to focus on fitness and health rather than restriction and punishment.
If you look at photos of her from 1996 and 1997, there is a visible shift. Her skin looks clearer. Her frame looks stronger. She had moved past the "waif-like" fragility of the mid-80s. She had found her voice and her feet.
Her recovery coincided with her becoming a more vocal advocate for charity work. It’s almost as if once she stopped "eating" her emotions, she had the energy to pour that compassion into the world. She used her experience to relate to others. When she met people in hospitals or shelters, she wasn't just a royal visitor. She was someone who knew what it felt like to be broken.
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The Legacy of the "Diana Effect" on Mental Health
The "Diana Effect" is a real term used by psychologists. It refers to the massive spike in people seeking help for eating disorders after she went public. She basically did more for eating disorder awareness in one 45-minute interview than decades of public service announcements.
She proved that these illnesses aren't about "willpower." They are complex psychological responses to trauma and stress.
Even today, her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, continue this work. They’ve both spoken extensively about mental health, clearly influenced by their mother’s bravery. They want to ensure that the "stiff upper lip" is replaced by "it's okay to not be okay."
Taking Action: Lessons from Diana’s Journey
If you or someone you care about is struggling with patterns that mirror what Diana went through, there are concrete steps to take. It isn't a life sentence.
- Acknowledge the trigger. For Diana, it was comments about her body and a lack of emotional support. Identifying what pushes you toward disordered behavior is the first step toward dismantling it.
- Seek specialized therapy. General talk therapy is great, but eating disorders often require CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) or DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) specifically tailored to food relationships.
- Build a "safe" support system. Diana didn't have this in the Palace, which is why she struggled for so long. You need people who won't judge your "slips."
- Focus on functionality over aesthetics. Shift the goal from "looking" a certain way to "feeling" strong enough to do the things you love.
The story of Diana’s bulimia is ultimately a story of survival. She was a woman who was pushed to the brink by an archaic system and her own internal demons, yet she found a way to heal and use her scars to help others. That is far more impressive than any tiara.
If you are looking for resources, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) or Beat (in the UK) offer helplines and support groups. You don't have to be a princess to deserve a life free from the cycle of binging and purging.
Recovery is a slow walk, not a sprint. Diana showed us that even in the brightest spotlight, healing is possible. It starts with the truth. It starts with saying the words out loud.
Once the secret is out, it loses its power.