When Princess Diana lifted the veil on postpartum depression, here's how she said she coped with it

Postpartum depression, as we all know, is not a widely discussed condition. As prevalent and concerning as it is, it is not addressed with the same urgency and seriousness. Many women, following childbirth, experience episodes of mental health issues, which go unaddressed, given the hesitancy to openly speak about it. This is why, in 1995, when Princess Diana, in a bombshell interview with BBC’s Martin Bashir, opened up about her experience with postpartum depression, it reached out to millions of women, who were going through the same situation and could relate to the Princess.

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When Princess Diana officially met Prince Charles, she was only 16. At the time, he was dating her elder sister, Sarah Spencer. Two years after their first meeting, they met again at a party and were engaged just over six months later, which was followed by their matrimonial ceremony in 1981. Diana was just 19 years of age when she married 32 year old Prince Charles.

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When it comes to royal pregnancies and births, it is a matter of great fascination. So, one can imagine the amount of stress and anxiety Princess Diana felt when she was pregnant with her first child. In an interview with the BBC, she revealed that she was under enormous pressure from the media and stated that it was almost "unbearable".

So when she finally gave birth to Prince William, she said, “Well, everybody was thrilled to bits. It had been quite a difficult pregnancy – I hadn’t been very well throughout it – so by the time William arrived it was a great relief because it was all peaceful again, and I was well for a time."

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In her famous appearance on BBC's Panorama interview in 1995, she opened up about a lot of things, including her experience with post-natal depression.

She said, "I was unwell with postnatal depression, which no one ever discusses, postnatal depression, you have to read about it afterwards, and that in itself was a bit of a difficult time." "I received a great deal of treatment, but I knew in myself that actually what I needed was space and time to adapt to all the different roles that had come my way," she added.

With her statement, she broke through many stigmas and stereotypes that revolve around mental health disorders that take a toll on a woman's health, especially after childbirth.

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In the interview, Diana also discussed how she dealt with her poor mental health. She reveals that she received various treatments. She said, “I received a great deal of treatment, but I knew in myself that actually what I needed was space and time to adapt to all the different roles that had come my way." “I knew I could do it, but I needed people to be patient and give me the space to do it," she had added.

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According to Princess Diana, she was probably the first person ever in the British Royal Family "who ever had a depression or was ever openly tearful." “And obviously that was daunting, because if you’ve never seen it before how do you support it?” she expresses.

While what she experienced cannot be reversed or undone, through her experience and stories, she touched millions of hearts. In a way, she also sympathized with many who went through the same plight.

Photo: Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images