CELEBRITY
Meghan Markle Has Candid Reaction to Drew Barrymore’s Childhood Memory of Princess Diana

Drew Barrymore told Meghan Markle a personal story about meeting Princess Diana when the Duchess of Sussex joined her popular talk show.
On March 6, Meghan appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show to discuss her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan two days after its premiere. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, and Barrymore, 50, had a wide-ranging conversation about the “vow” Prince Harry made to her when they were dating, being a working mom to Prince Archie, 5 and Princess Lilibet, 3, what she hopes to express through her As ever brand and more – including Barrymore’s childhood connection to Princess Diana.
During a segment on the set (where Meghan brought cookies she baked with Archie and Lili!), Barrymore surprised her with a framed photograph showing her meeting Princess Diana at the London premiere of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982.
“Oh, how sweet. Oh, that’s beautiful,” Meghan said with affection as Barrymore handed her the picture. “Oh my gosh. Look at your little face! Oh, that’s so sweet. That is so special that you had it here. Oh!” Meghan said and gave it back to Barrymore.
“I was lucky enough,” Barrymore began and flipped the frame to show the camera the black and white snap of her handing Diana the doll behind the scenes of the movie premiere.
“That’s really special,” Meghan interjected.
“It means so much to me to have met such an incredible human being that transcended everything. It was the honor of my life,” said Barrymore.
“Oh my gosh, well, I will tell H that for sure,” Meghan said, referring to her husband Harry by a nickname she calls him.
“Okay, cool,” said Barrymore, and they both laughed.
In December 1982, Barrymore, then 7, met Princess Diana at the London premiere of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and handed her a plush version of the film’s alien character. Barrymore’s turn as Gertie in the Steven Spielberg classic proved to be her breakout role, and she later described meeting the Princess of Wales as “the most exciting moment” of her young life.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” she said on a 2018 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. “It was the most exciting moment for me to meet a real-life princess. The real-life princess, the People’s princess. Diana was and is and will always be the epitome of a woman that all little girls look up to.