Archive of Princess Diana’s personal letters reveal her misery at Prince Charles’ ‘desperate and ugly’ divorce – as they go under the hammer for an estimated £90,000 with the proceeds going to charity
- Diana sought support from friends during her public split from Prince Charles
- She also throws jabs at the royal family in the 32 revealing letters and cards
Private letters from Princess Diana show she wouldn’t have agreed to a split had she known it was going to be so “distressed and ugly”.
The series of candid letters and cards, which speak of regret over her divorce from Prince Charles and lash out at the royal family, will fetch £90,000 at auction.
The Princess of Wales wrote about issues including isolation and fears her phone would be tapped.
32 letters and cards are for sale, the collection was written to their friends Susie and Tarek Kassem between 1995 and 1996.
Letters from the Princess of Wales addressing issues such as isolation from the royal family and fears her phone has been tapped are being auctioned off
Princess Diana’s private letters reveal she wouldn’t have agreed to a split if she knew it was going to be so “distressed and ugly”.
In a revealing letter dated April 28, 1996, Diana canceled an opera visit due to the stresses of their separation
The couple are selling the letters because “owning the documents is a great responsibility” that they didn’t want to pass on to their children.
The Kassems kept some of their more personal and confidential letters.
The letters are sold individually and the proceeds are donated to charities supported by Diana.
In a revealing letter dated April 28, 1996, Diana canceled an opera visit due to the stresses of their separation.
She wrote: “I’m going through a very difficult time and the pressure is serious and coming from all sides.
“Sometimes it’s too difficult to keep your head up and today I’m on my knees just longing for this divorce to go through as the potential costs are enormous.”
Her handwriting, normally open and fluent, deteriorates towards the end of the letter, apparently from where she was struggling to write.
On May 20, 1996, she informed Ms Kassem that the phones at Kensington Palace had been tapped.
She wrote: “If I had known a year ago what I would experience going through this divorce, I would never have agreed. It’s desperate and ugly’
In total there are 32 letters and cards written by Diana in late 1995 and throughout 1996 that are now being sold by the couple.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their last official trip together – a visit to South Korea in 1992
In some letters, Princess Diana attacked the royal family for isolating them and recounted how her phone had been tapped at Kensington Palace
In many of them she profusely thanks the couple – who she first met in August 1995 during their regular visits to the Royal Brompton Hospital – for showering them with gifts and emotional support.
On December 2, 1995, the day after the Queen advised Charles and Diana to divorce, she wrote, “I may have been described as a butterfly, but I do not wish to escape this lovely family.” She was referring to the Kassem family.
She repeatedly thanked them for being there for her and “listening to all my babble.” She wrote “Nice to be a threesome!”.
In another dig at the royal family, she wrote: “I am touched by how protective you both are towards me*. I’m not used to that!”
The Kassems, who live in London, sell the letters at Lay’s auctioneers in Penzance.
The sale will take place on February 16th.