Fran Drescher lovingly reflects on the exact moment she made Princess Diana laugh

The actress opens up and gets nostalgic in a recent interview

Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997) meets the cast of the Verdi opera 'Simon Boccanegra' at the Royal Opera House in London, 12th November 1991.
(Image credit: Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

Fran Drescher has made a lot of people laugh over the years, but none stands out more than the time she got a laugh from a certain member of the Royal British Family.

During a recent interview with Marie Claire, Fran opened up to the outlet and reminisced about the time she met Princess Diana at the 1995 CFDA Awards.

Princess Diana had hosted a cocktail party for presenters and winners from the event. It was there that Fran couldn't resist introducing herself to the Princess of Wales.

"It was wall-to-wall people, and she stood in the center of it, with a roped-off area. … [I told my manager] ‘I’m not getting this close and not meeting her.’ So I said, ‘Pardon me, excuse me, pardon me,’ and everybody just got out of my way," Fran remembered.

When it was time for Fran to present during the award ceremony, she took this opportunity to concoct a comedic story about their meeting. 

"When I did my presentation, I made up a whole story [about our meeting]. We happened to both be in Mr. Blackwell’s best- and worst-dressed list [that year]. I said [onstage], ‘I met the princess, and I said to her, “Princess, we’re both on Mr. Blackwell’s list.” And she said, “Yes, but I’m on the best-dressed, and you’re on the worst-dressed.” And I said, “But you got Princess Margaret on your list, and I got Demi and Madonna on mine. You’re on the wrong list, Princess.”'

Fran Drescher during 6th Annual Fire and Ice Ball to Benefit Revlon UCLA Women Cancer Center at Barney's NY Store in Beverly Hills, California, United States.

(Image credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

To her excitement, her story was met with positive reactions, including one from the Princess herself.

"And [Diana] was in the front row, bellied over, laughing,” recalled Fran.

It's moments like these that Fran says you have to take advantage of. As a well-versed storyteller and comedian, she tries to bring lessons and positivity into people's lives whenever the moment feels right.

"You’re dealt a hand of cards, and you have to play it as courageously and elegantly as you possibly can,” said Fran. “So I’m always trying to see: Why is this presented to me, and how can I turn this experience into a learning experience or something positive? … I still woulda been on the plane. I still woulda been at the CFDA Awards. I still woulda been at that club in Florida. But if you are the type of person that gets intimidated and you don’t carpe diem, then you miss the opportunities. If you’re not intimidated, amazing things can happen.”

Rylee Johnston

Rylee is a U.S. news writer who previously worked for woman&home and My Imperfect Life covering lifestyle, celebrity, and fashion news. Before joining woman&home and My Imperfect Life, Rylee studied journalism at Hofstra University where she explored her interests in world politics and magazine writing. From there, she dabbled in freelance writing covering fashion and beauty e-commerce for outlets such as the TODAY show, American Spa Magazine, First for Women, and Woman’s World.