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EastEnders character
Diane Butcher
Portrayed by	Sophie Lawrence
Duration	1988–1991, 1993, 1994, 1997
Date of birth	4 January 1974
Marital status	Single
Occupation	Bohemian artist
Family	Frank, Janine, Clare, Ricky

Diane Butcher was a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. She was played by Sophie Lawrence.

She arrived in Albert Square in 1988 as the daughter of second-hand car salesman, Frank Butcher and sister to Ricky Butcher. When her father married Pat Wicks and took over as landlord of the Queen Victoria pub, she lived with them there, but later the family moved out of the pub to run a bed and breakfast elsewhere on the Square.

Problematic and strong-willed, she fell for lodger Paul Priestly at the pub and was broken hearted when he returned to the North of England.

Feeling misunderstood and unloved after believing that her family had forgotten her birthday, Diane ran away from home in 1990 and joined the down-and-outs on the streets of London. She was sinking fast when a street-wise teenager, Disa O'Brien, took her under her wing, showing her how to survive. Disa turned to prostitution for extra money, and Diane - who had always been keen on art - posed for photographs for a man who made a sculpture of her. She eventually returned to Albert Square after months of searching by her father.

Diane became involved with Mark Fowler when he returned to his family home, and she enlisted his help in finding Disa. When they found her, the teenager was heavily pregnant and living in "Cardboard City". After the baby, Billie, was born, Diane persuaded Frank to allow Disa and the baby to stay in his mother Mo's empty flat, where she took care of them. Disa subsequently abandoned baby Billie with Diane.

Soon after, Diane found out that Mark was HIV-positive. She pledged to stick with him, even though the task was daunting. However, when Mark proposed to her in 1991, she turned him down and left Walford to live in France.

She returned for a short stint to Walford in 1997 with her son Jacques, but ran away again with her boyfriend Thomas leaving Jacques with Ricky and Bianca. Jacques now lives in Manchester with Diane's sister, Clare.

• Father: Frank Butcher
• Mother: June Butcher (deceased)
• Brothers: Ricky Butcher, Danny Butcher
• Sisters: Clare Butcher, Janine Evans
• Son: Jacques Butcher
• Grandfather: Chike Butcher (deceased)
• Grandmother: Mo Butcher (deceased)
• Nephew: Liam Butcher
• Niece: Natasha Butcher (deceased)