27-05-2025
Princess Diana's obsession with the 'paranormal' guided her choices after her marriage to Prince Charles fell apart
Astrology, tarot cards and seances are not often associated with the pragmatism and sobriety of the Royal Family.
But Princess Diana - in moments of personal crisis - often turned to the spiritual realm for reassurance, cramming her diary with appointments in the late 1980s and 90s.
Andrew Morton wrote in the authorised biography Diana Her True Story: 'When she first began investigating the possibilities of the spiritual world, Diana was very open, almost too open, to belief.
'She was so much at sea in her world that she clutched at any prediction, in the way that a drowning man clutches at flotsam.'
But a former palace official told royal author Sally Bedell Smith that this was a 'cry for help'.
Diana was first encouraged to speak with a spiritual advisor by Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York.
In 1986, the couple referred Diana, tortured over her failing marriage to Prince Charles and the pressures of royal life, to astrologer Penny Thornton.
'I just wanted to see,' she told Thornton, 'if there is light at the end of the tunnel.'
Diana began seeing psychic Betty Palko, naturopath Roderick Lane, celebrity psychic Sally Morgan, astrologer Debbie Frank, clairvoyant Vasso Kortesis, medium Rita Rogers and homeopathic dowser healer Jack Temple.
Morton wrote that Prince Charles, who himself is known for his interest in holistic medicine and philosophy, was not supportive of Diana's many spiritual appointments.
He said: 'When Charles saw her reading a book called Facing Death while she was on holiday he asked her bluntly what she was doing wasting her time reading about all those issues.'
Diana became close friends with San Lorenzos restaurant owners Lorenzo and Mara Berni, who Morton wrote 'had a reputation of an Indian earth mother'.
They encouraged Diana's interest in astrology, tarot cards and 'other realms of alternative metaphysics such as clairvoyance and hypnotism'.
It was around this time that Diana was introduced to Debbie Frank who - as Morton wrote - 'combines general counselling and analysis concerning the present and the future as they relate to the conjunction of planets appropriate to Diana's birth time and date '.
'Born under the sign of Cancer, Diana has many qualities typical of that sign: protective, tenacious, emotionally attuned and nurturing.
'As her confidence in herself grew, Diana started to see these methods of self-analysis and forecast as tools and guides rather than as a lifeline to gab on to.'
As depicted in season six of The Crown, Diana and Dodi visited psychic Rita Rogers - one of the UK's best-known mediums just weeks before they died in the fatal car crash in Paris.
They were put in touch by a mutual friend in 1994, and Rogers did an initial reading over the phone before they met in person.
' You couldn't pull the wool over Diana's eyes,' she said.
'She could spot a fraud from 20 paces, and would have quickly sussed me if I hadn't been genuine.'
Christopher Andersen, author of The King, said: 'Over the years Diana went through a revolving door supply of astrologers, faith healers, numerologists, tarot card readers, clairvoyants, psychics, and 'spiritual advisors.
'Most told her what she already knew: that her husband was cheating on her with his old flame.'
Bodyguard Ken Wharfe agreed. 'Diana was in the thrall of all these mad psychics,' he told Tina Brown in The Diana Chronicles.
Rita Rogers and Diana (pictured) were put in touch by a mutual friend in 1994, and Rogers did an initial reading over the phone before they met in person
At the inquest into Diana's death it was noted that Diana's reliance on spiritual advisors offered companionship and a sense of comfort during a difficult time - but also fueled her paranoia.
The inquest heard Diana was obsessed with clairvoyants - including one she dubbed 'Fergie's witchwoman', whose identity was not revealed.
Mr Jephson, a former lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy, worked for Diana between 1990 and 1996.
He said he was worried that she put so much faith in astrologers and soothsayers because this 'fed the paranoia that never lurked far beneath the surface'.
By the time of her Panorama interview in 1995, he said, Diana 'saw plots everywhere', even claiming that someone had taken a 'pot-shot' at her with a gun in Hyde Park.
'Needless to say, I had all the accusations checked out, but the threats were, as I had known all along, all in her imagination.'
The psychic bloodline of the royal family can be dated back to the days of Queen Victoria.
Occult expert J.H. Brennan claimed that Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, was 'fascinated by spiritualism' and would invite mediums to Buckingham Palace and hold seances
In his book Whisperers: The Secret History of the Spirit World, occult expert J.H. Brennan claimed that Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, was 'fascinated by spiritualism' and would invite mediums to Buckingham Palace and hold seances.
Brennan also claimed that Victoria's servant John Brown, whom she was rumoured to have a romantic relationship with, actually acted as a medium to help her channel the spirit of her beloved late husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Many other members of the Royal Family, such as the Queen Mother, the late Queen and Prince Philip have also reportedly attended seances and other investigations into the paranormal.
In the documentary The King of UFOs, paranormal historian Richard Felix claimed that Queen Elizabeth II attended a seance in 1953 hoping to connect with her then-recently deceased father.
The queen's mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, sister, Princess Margaret, and husband, Prince Philip, were also reportedly in attendance.
Last year Diana's former butler revealed that the late royal haunts his mansion in Cheshire and that the late Queen also believed in the supernatural.
Paul Burrell started working in Charles and Diana's royal household in 1987 and was the Princess's personal butler until her death in 1997.
He was having his home inspected by a group of ghost hunters on an episode of Celebrity Help! My House is Haunted when he made the claims.
Prince Harry wrote about exploring the occult to feel connected to his late mother.
In his memoir Spare he said that he once sought help from a woman who claimed to have powers to connect with his late mother.
'Your mother says that you are living the life that she couldn't live,' Harry recalled the woman telling him.
'You're living the life she wanted for you.'
