A Look Back At The Time Drew Barrymore Met Princess Diana

Drew Barrymore is well-known for getting her big Hollywood break when she was just seven with her notable role as Gertie in the 1982 film "E.T." But what you may not know about Barrymore is that she got a chance to meet Princess Diana thanks to her role in the same iconic Steven Spielberg film that made her a child star. Barrymore even gave the princess an E.T. doll.

"E.T." was an absolute smash hit at the U.S. box office when it came out in the summer of 1982, and Princess Diana attended the U.K. premiere of the film in December 1982. That was when Barrymore got the chance to meet her. The actress talked about the meeting, which sounds like it's a treasured memory, on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2018. Barrymore told Kimmel that for her, Princess Diana, "was, and is, and will always be the epitome of a woman that all little girls look up to."

King Charles, then Prince Charles, was at the "E.T." premiere with Princess Diana — the couple had just gotten married around 18 months before, but it seems like all eyes were on Princess Diana. Or at least that was true in the case of the young Drew Barrymore. Barrymore told Jimmy Kimmel that the encounter, "was the most exciting moment for me to meet a real-life princess." You can certainly tell from the look on Barrymore's face that she was absolutely thrilled. And even at seven years old, she followed royal protocol and gave a little curtsy to the princess after shaking her hand.

Along with being a milestone memory for Barrymore, it was a stylish occasion with plenty of 1980s vibes. Barrymore was wearing white gloves with her long sleeved dress with ruffles and a bow. As for Princess Diana's outfit, she was wearing a sleeveless gown by Gina Frattini and a glittering choker.

Drew Barrymore also talked about the momentous occasion with Boy George in a 2024 episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show" where the two seemed to bond over getting the chance to meet the iconic Princess Diana. Barrymore explained what she felt was the key to Princess Diana's becoming so beloved and living out her nickname of being the "People's Princess" — "she was personable, and she was present."

Barrymore is convinced that Princess Diana held on to the E.T. toy that she gave her, and that she wouldn't have, as Jimmy Kimmel suggested, just tossed it immediately. "Look at the way she's looking at it! She was so kind and so nice," Barrymore said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." William, Prince of Wales was around six months old at the time, and it seems easy to imagine that Princess Diana gave the E.T. doll to her young son to play with — at least that's what we hope happened!