Katie Couric said Princess Diana once told her she was 'going home to an empty house'

• Katie Couric met Princess Diana when they were seated together at a luncheon in June 1996.
• Couric said Diana told her she was "going home to an empty house" after the US trip.

On the day she met Princess Diana, Katie Couric was struck by her beauty and "girlish charm."

But when she spoke to the princess, Couric said she "sensed a deep sadness" in Diana.

Couric revealed new details about their encounter in her memoir, "Going There," which was released on Tuesday.

The veteran journalist met Princess Diana a year before her tragic death, during a June 1996 luncheon for breast cancer research at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.

Couric sat next to Diana, who she recalled was "glowing in a sleeveless cream-colored dress with a single strand of pearls" and "still looking like the rosy-cheeked, bashful, part-time kindergarten teacher Prince Charles introduced to the world when she was just 19."

"At one point she turned to me and said, 'I like your lipstick,' which took me by surprise." Couric continued. "I was flattered that she'd noticed."

Couric said she later asked Princess Diana if she was "excited to go home" after such an exhausting trip in the US.

"I would be, but I'm going home to an empty house," Princess Diana told her.

Two months later, Princess Diana and Prince Charles officially filed for divorce after 15 years of marriage.

"As we all knew, she was in the process of finalizing her divorce from Prince Charles," Couric wrote in her memoir. "I was surprised by her openness and sensed a deep sadness."

The legendary "Today" host said she then half-jokingly asked why Diana didn't "invite some friends over for a slumber party."

"Princess Diana cocked her head quizzically at the idea of it, like a dog hearing a high-pitched whistle," Couric recalled. "At the time, I had no idea how miserable she really was."

Couric said Princess Diana also sought parenting advice during their chat, asking: "How do you keep your children from watching too much telly?"

Diana told Couric she was having a "terrible time" getting Prince William and Prince Harry - who were 13 and 11 - from shutting off the TV.

"I think we told her to hide the remote," Couric added.