Women supporting women is a beautiful thing—and sometimes, we all need someone to have our back, even if we’re, you know, Barbra Streisand.
In her new memoir, My Name is Barbra, Streisand revealed a time when Princess Diana literally covered her backside: the then-Princess of Wales helped the legendary entertainer avoid a near wardrobe malfunction while the two were out at the London premiere of The Prince of Tides in 1992, wrote Streisand, who both starred in and directed the film. (The premiere was held as a benefit for the AIDS Crisis Trust, and Streisand said she was “impressed” with how hands-on Diana was “with her outreach in hospitals to destigmatize HIV/AIDS,” People reports.)
Streisand wrote that Diana was just as lovely in person, and they sat together during the film screening at Leicester Square. As she stood, Diana looked out for the singer and actress: “The zipper on my skirt had come down a bit as I was sitting, and she noticed and quickly started to zip it up for me as I got to my feet,” Streisand wrote. “When I finally sat down, Diana turned to me and asked, ‘Do you know how wonderful you are?’”
To that, Streisand added, to Diana’s question, “Did I know it now? I’m not sure…maybe a little. I thought Diana was wonderful. I wonder if she knew how wonderful she was.”
Diana wasn’t Streisand’s only royal encounter; in fact, had the chips fallen a bit differently, Streisand might have called herself the Princess of Wales. The then-Prince Charles reportedly had a crush on Streisand prior to marrying Diana in 1981, and The Times reported in July 2021 that Charles said he found Streisand “dazzling” as a young man.
“It was so sweet,” Streisand said of the “special memories” Charles had shared. The two apparently met in 1974, when Charles was serving in the Royal Navy. His service brought him to San Diego, California, where Streisand was working at the time.
“He asked to meet me,” she said. “So, he came to the recording studio. I offered him a sip of tea and I thought, ‘They didn’t have to test me for poison or something? No.’”
She continued, “The future king of England actually drank from my cup, which was apparently unprecedented. When the British press reported on this, they turned it into the equivalent of an international incident.”
From there, “we became friends, and I loved spending some time at Highgrove [Charles’ country home] for a weekend fundraiser and going through his gardens,” Streisand said. This was all happening “before he met Diana,” she added, but “I had a very funny line onstage when he came to see [my] show. I said, ‘You know, if I played by cards right, I could have wound up being the first Jewish princess!’”
Per Insider, Streisand said they regularly send birthday cards and presents to one another. (Hope she has his in the mail—his 75th birthday is on Tuesday.)
