The Crown's Princess Diana actress Emma Corrin reveals she keeps a vibrator in her handbag... just like the late Royal who famously carried a 'secret mascot' sex toy on foreign visits

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The Crown star Emma Corrin has revealed that she keeps a vibrator in her handbag – just like the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

The 24-year-old actress, who will be seen portraying the mother of princes William and Harry in the upcoming fourth season of The Crown has admitted that she likes using the sex toy as a way to 'unwind'.

In an video interview with Vogue, which was published last week, she said of the gadget as she revealed the contents of her bag: 'It’s great if you’re stressed and need to unwind. Also, it kind of looks like a lipstick so, you know, nice and subtle.'

Good vibrations: The Crown star Emma Corrin (left) has revealed that she keeps a vibrator in her handbag – just like the late Diana, Princess of Wales (pictured right, in 1983)

Princess Diana had a 'secret mascot' in the form of a sex toy, which she took with her on all overseas trips as a good luck charm, her former bodyguard revealed in 2016.

Royal protection officer Ken Wharfe said the marital aid – which was referred to as 'Le Gaget', or 'the gadget' – was purchased on a 'wild staff night out' in Paris in 1992.

Wharfe claimed he then persuaded Diana's sister Sarah McCorquodale to hide the sex toy in the Princess of Wales' bag the next day.

Buzzing: The 24-year-old actress told Vogue of the gadget,'It’s great if you’re stressed and need to unwind. Also, it kind of looks like a lipstick so, you know, nice and subtle'

The shock revelation was made by Wharfe in an updated edition of his book Diana: Closely Guarded Secret. 

He added that the Princess 'loved pranks and practical jokes' and thought the toy was 'hilarious' before she quickly made it her 'secret mascot for foreign trips'.

The former bodyguard even claimed she once forgot to bring it along to a trip to Nepal after leaving it in a drawer at Kensington Palace.

But she was so adamant that it was her lucky charm, Wharfe claims she had it flown over from London in a diplomatic bag to the British Embassy in the South Asian country. 

Luck: Princess Diana had a 'secret mascot' in the form of a sex toy, which she took with her on overseas trips as a good luck charm, her former bodyguard revealed in 2016. Pictured in 1989

He wrote that she attached 'almost superstitious importance' to the object and that Diana told him: 'You know everything will go wrong without it.'

It was then delivered to the King of Nepal on a silver tray by a Gurkha aide and the Princess reportedly said 'Oh, that must be for me' during a press conference and started to laugh. 

In an extract from his book, he wrote: 'Diana loved pranks and practical jokes, and one of the most uproarious involved an item purchased on a wild staff night out in Paris, during her official visit to France in November 1992.

'We all referred to it as 'Le Gaget', or the gadget — in fact, it was a sex toy. I had persuaded Lady Sarah McCorquodale, her sister and acting lady-in-waiting during the trip, to secrete it in Diana's handbag the next morning. 

'The Princess discovered it while going through her bag, between meetings with the French president Jacques Chirac and Paul McCartney.

'Far from being offended, she thought it very funny, and from that moment Le Gaget became her secret mascot on all royal visits abroad. 

'She attached almost superstitious importance to it and, when we arrived in Nepal the following March, she turned to me and said: "I hope we've got Le Gaget, Ken. You know everything will go wrong without it".

'Much to her consternation, I had to admit it had been left in a drawer at Kensington Palace.

'A telephone call was made and a secretary instructed to dispatch the vibrator by diplomatic bag to the British Embassy in Nepal. 

Gadget: Royal protection officer Ken Wharfe (pictured in 1992) said the marital aid – referred to as 'Le Gaget', or 'the gadget' – was purchased on a 'wild staff night out' in Paris in 1992

His book continued: 'It arrived in a sealed packet, delivered on a silver tray by a gurkha aide to the King of Nepal, during a press reception at the ambassador's official residence.

'The Princess was preparing to meet the media in the gardens when the package was handed to Diana's equerry, Captain Ed Musto of the Royal Marines — who made the ill-advised decision to open the packet and remove the offending item, in front of all the guests (but, mercifully, not in view of the world's Press). 

'There was a stunned silence. Then the Princess said: "Oh, that must be for me" and started to laugh. 

'Captain Musto graciously slipped Le Gaget into his pocket, and the embassy dignitaries were far too diplomatic to make any comment. There were a few bemused glances, though.'

Series: Emma is set to be seen as Princess Diana in the upcoming fourth season of The Crown