An upcoming children’s book about Princess Diana has received criticism for its depiction of her eating disorder struggle.
The latest installment in the Little People, Big Dreams series will focus on the so-called People’s Princess and the role she played in the royal family.
However, claims it makes about Diana’s experience with bulimia have sparked concern.
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New children’s book on Princess Diana
The new book, set to be published on September 7, is part of Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara’s bestselling children’s biography series. The Little People, Big Dreams series already has titles about figures such as King Charles, Elton John and Vivienne Westwood.
Despite being written for a young audience, Princess Diana’s biography does not shy away from more complex aspects of her life. Within her exploration of Diana’s personal suffering, Vegara has included a passage about the Princess’s eating disorder.
It includes the line: “She soon realised that the prince’s heart belonged to someone else… Over time that sadness grew into an eating disorder called bulimia.”
In images published in the Daily Mail, it goes on to describe and illustrate Princess Diana’s illness in detail.
One page reads: “Whenever she felt alone, she sought relief by eating all the cakes she could find in the royal kitchens. But the sweet feeling of comfort didn’t last long. Once it was gone, she would try to get rid of all the food she had eaten by making herself sick.”
Prince Diana opened up about her mental health struggles in her infamous 1995 interview with Martin Bashir. She described how bulimia as well as self-harm manifested as “a symptom of what was going on in [my] marriage”.
New Diana book slammed
As news spreads of the upcoming book and its contents, many have taken to social media to criticise its depiction of Princess Diana and explanation of her eating disorder.
“Oh this isn’t right,” one person commented. A second said: “How damn idiotic is this. 100% stupid.” A third was concerned about the impressionable audience who would be reading the book, pointing out: “Need to be very careful what kids can get out of a book like this.”
In particular, the suggestion that King Charles’ actions alone caused Diana to develop bulimia caused uproar. Someone tweeted: “This was NOT the only cause of her bulimia. She had many mental issues stemming from childhood ..so this book is not wholly truthful. Let her RIP.”
Someone else agreed: “Diana had an eating disorder before she married. A horrible illness rooted in her childhood.” Another person likewise said: “Blaming Charles does not rest easy with me….and for children, too.”
Read more: Prince Harry ‘believes Meghan is in touch with Diana from beyond the grave’
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