New children’s book reveals Princess Diana’s struggle with eating disorder

Diana is depicted in the artwork clutching an empty plate in her lap while she is sad and sitting on the kitchen floor

Princess Diana struggled with bulimia in the later years of her life. (Source: AP file)

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Princess Diana’s battle with an eating disorder is candidly portrayed in a newly released children’s book that draws inspiration from her life. The book, titled ‘Little People, Big Dreams’, is set to launch on September 7, aiming to “introduce young readers to the world’s most-loved princess”.

The book is a part of Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara’s best-selling biography series for kids, which examines the lives of significant people like designers, scientists, and activists. Among the people whose lives are portrayed in the book series are Vivienne Westwood, David Bowie, and Ru Paul.

Diana, Princess of Wales, was diagnosed with an eating disorder, as stated in a digital copy of the book, provided to The Independent. “Even though her life seemed to be taken from the pages of a fairy tale, she soon realised that the prince’s heart belonged to someone else… Over time that sadness grew into an eating disorder called bulimia. Whenever she felt alone, she sought relief by eating all the cakes she could find in the royal kitchens,” it noted.

Diana is depicted in the artwork clutching an empty plate in her lap while she is sad and sitting on the kitchen floor. The late royal is further described by the author as one of the “first famous people to speak up about her struggle with bulimia, helping others to confront it, too”.

Diana “kept charming people with her own king of magic and shining light on important causes, from mental health issues to animal rights,” according to the book, which also detailed her divorce from then-Prince Charles. It further recounted the moment when she embraced an AIDS patient during a visit to a New York hospital at the peak of the AIDS epidemic.

For the uninitiated, Diana first opened up about her eating disorder in a 1995 Martin Bashir interview for Panorama. “I had bulimia for a number of years. And that’s like a secret disease. You inflict it upon yourself because your self-esteem is at a low ebb, and you don’t think you’re worthy or valuable. You fill your stomach up four or five times a day – some do it more – and it gives you a feeling of comfort,” she said at the time.

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Since then, numerous stories of Diana’s life have included depictions of her eating disorder. In season five of Netflix’s The Crown, several scenes depict Diana’s struggles with bulimia.