Celebrity Hairstylist Shares Memories of Princess Diana's "Really Filthy" Sense of Humor
"She sent me these birthday cards..."


Princess Diana is remembered for a plethora of reasons, including the fact she allegedly had a very naughty sense of humor. For instance, the former Princess of Wales reportedly enjoyed tricking her staff with fake vomit, and she played a hilarious prank on Prince William by inviting several supermodels over when he was home. Now, Diana's hairdresser is opening up about some of the late royal's funniest moments.
Celebrity hairstylist Sam McKnight, who has worked with a plethora of supermodels including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, was hired to style Princess Diana's hair for a photo shoot in 1990. Reflecting on meeting the royal, McKnight told The Telegraph, "Princess Diana comes bouncing up the stairwell...She stuck out her hand with a big smile and said, 'Hi, I’m Diana.'" The meeting led to a 7-year professional relationship between the princess and the hairdresser.
"I was back and forth between London and New York working—in between she'd often have a sneaky perm," McKnight shared. Noting how much he "loved" Diana, McKnight told the publication, "She was so funny." He continued, "She sent [me] these really filthy birthday cards from this card shop on Kensington High Street."
"She was so funny," Princess Diana's hairstylist explained.
The famous hairstylist also shared, "There's never really been a replacement [for her]." He continued, "That's the wrong word. No one has ever fitted into that spot she created, there's been a void there."
McKnight isn't the only person to have received rude greeting cards from Princess Diana. In May 2023, a pair of cards sent by Diana to the last king of Greece, Constantine II, were sold at auction for approximately $8,677. "I couldn't decide which card to send and then thought you'd enjoy both!" Diana wrote in one card, via UPI. Both featured sexually suggestive cartoons and captions, which is seemingly indicative of the types of cards Diana enjoyed sending her friends.
"No one has ever fitted into that spot she created, there's been a void there."
Hairdresser Richard Dalton, who also worked with Diana, previously told People, "Her jokes were hysterical...very naughty at times." Dalton noted that the princess had an "amazing, wicked sense of humor."
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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.
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