It's no secret by now that the first four episodes of season six of The Crown heavily centre Princess Diana. The critics have had their say about her dramatised PR war with Camilla, her tragic death in 1997 and her 'ghost' appearing to speak to then-Prince Charles and Camilla. But less has been said about the inclusion of Diana's therapist, Susie Orbach.
In the show, Princess Diana is seen talking to Susie Orbach who suggests she should distance herself from her partner Dodi Fayed and his domineering father. Diana's therapist says, 'The risk is, one normalises the abnormal and becomes accustomed to living in the madness. That's when things really go wrong.'
Dodi Fayed's father was Mohammed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods department store in London. He died on 30 August this year, almost 26 years to the date that his son and Princess Diana died in Paris.
Who was Diana's therapist, Susie Orbach?
Susie Orbach was Diana's real therapist during the 1990s. She has spent her career working as a psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, writer and social critic. Her first book, Fat is a Feminist Issue, analysed the psychology of dieting and over-eating in women, and she has campaigned against media pressure on girls to feel dissatisfied with their physical appearance.
It is thought that Princess Diana regularly saw Susie Orbach for two years, up until her death in August 1997. As a result, she was known for a long time as 'Britain's best-known psychotherapist'. Princess Diana also used to speak to a psychic called Rita Rogers on a regular basis, and their relationship is also depicted on the show.
While one of Diana's sessions with Susie was dramatised in The Crown, it is of course difficult to ever know what conversations were really had between the pair.
She is still a practising therapist.