Kathy Bates just created a firestorm of speculation upon hinting that Sarah Paulson could play Princess Diana on Feud season 2.

Bates and Paulson joined their fellow American Horror Story stars Sunday night at PaleyFest for a special panel, where a curious statement was made. Bates referred to Paulson frequently as "the people's princess," which is exactly what Princess Diana was called during her reign.

This has the internet abuzz speculating on whether Paulson will play Princess Diana in the second season of Feud, which centers on the iconic princess and her relationship with Prince Charles. After all, Feud is a Ryan Murphy show and Paulson has starred in most of his recent projects, including The People v. O.J. Simpson and all six seasons of American Horror Story. She is also set to guest star on the first season of Feud as actress Geraldine Page.

Paulson's potential casting as Princess Diana is not confirmed by FX or any of the Feud cast and crew. However, Paulson did allude to the fact that she's interested in playing another member of British royalty in Feud: Charles and Diana.

 "I wanna play the Queen Mother!" she told Entertainment Tonight earlier in the month. "I don't think [Murphy's] gonna let me do that. That might be a bridge too far. He might also be like, 'Oh, lady... no!' I could play one of the corgis."

Paulson may not quite be in the age range to play either Princess Diana or Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, but it's probably safe to assume that the Murphy favorite will show up in some capacity in Feud season 2.

Feud is currently airing its first season, centered on the bitter rivalry between legendary actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The season mostly focuses on the actresses' notorious experience filming the 1962 thriller What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and the resulting successes and failures of both stars.

Feud: Bette and Joan airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.

Tags: Sarah Paulson Feud Princess Diana fx