Songfacts®:

• Gaga debuted this somber ballad on June 26, 2012, during the Born This Way Ball concert in Melbourne, Australia. "I wrote it a little while ago and I've never, ever played it for anyone. This song is a little bit sad," she said when introducing the tune, adding that, "it's about some of the most deep and personal thoughts I've ever had."
• The song title is a dark play on the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who was known to many as Princess Di. Her life was tragically cut shot, when she was killed in a car crash at the age of 36. When introducing the song, Gaga took great pains to emphasize the spelling of the song's title to differentiate it from the late royal. She said: "It's called Princess Die. D, I, E... D, I, E."
• According to The Sun newspaper, Gaga has previously spoken about her admiration for Diana, saying: "Diana was the most iconic martyr of fame. She died because of it."
• Gaga explained the song's meaning during a September 2012 performance in London, England. She shared that it's about Princess Diana, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Alexander McQueen and Issy Blow - people we've loved and lost.
• Gaga had initially intended to include the song on her ARTPOP album, but after the adverse reaction it got from fans in the UK, record bosses made her ditch it.