Liza Minnelli Shares Heartfelt Memories of Her Friendship with Princess Diana

Emy LaCroixSat, February 21, 2026 at 3:28 PM UTC

0

As the daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, Liza Minnelliwas surrounded by celebrities from the day she was born, but one of her most famous pals was the iconic Princess Diana.

Related: Liza Minnelli Details ‘Passionate’ 1970s Affair With Martin Scorsese in New Tell-All

"I met Princess Diana at movie premieres, fundraisers and the like, and we became friends," Minnelli recalls in an excerpt of her upcoming memoir shared by The Times on Feb. 21. "We’d catch up and meet for tea. Sometimes she’d come to my hotel and we’d have lunch... We talked girl talk, and could have spent weeks together."

Minnelli says she felt moved to "protect" the British royal, and they "fiercely guarded each other’s privacy," especially because of the constant public attention and private pressure King Charles III's first wife dealt with.

"She was a great lady, under siege from the moment she entered the royal family," Minnelli explains, saying that Diana often "spoke candidly" about her marriage and the pressure that came with it. "I told her about my own experiences. It was honest and real. We understood each other," she writes. "She was one in a million."

Advertisement

🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬

The duo took an iconic photo together in 1991, and Minnelli shares what they were muttering to each other that caused Diana to giggle for the legendary picture.

Princess Diana and Liza Minnelli in 1991Getty (Getty)

"We had some great laughs at the party after the London premiere of my film Stepping Out in 1991," Minnelli shares. "Sitting at a table with two Cokes, we smiled for the cameras. When they turned away, Princess Diana whispered, 'It’s good to see you, feisty lady!' I laughed and said, 'Good to see you, too!' We had a long conversation that night."

Minnelli was devastated by Princess Diana's death on Aug. 31, 1997, but she was touched to learn the special way the royal had honored their friendship while she was alive.

Related: Liza Minnelli Claims Behind-the-Scenes Drama Soured Her Viral Oscars Moment With Lady Gaga

"After her separation from Prince Charles, she decorated her private quarters at Kensington Palace with memorabilia that meant something to her," writes Minnelli. "I later learnt that, among a handful of framed photographs on her living room mantelpiece, there was a picture of me."

Liza Minnelli’s book, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! My Memoir as Told to Michael Feinstein is will be released on on March 10.

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”