Princess Diana kept a big secret from Charles—shortly after, their marriage fell apart.
A great deal has been written about Princess Diana and Prince Charles, and it’s no secret that they did not end up together. But before her death, Diana revealed that she had been keeping a secret because she knew the truth would disappoint her husband, then Prince Charles.
More than 40 years have passed since Diana and Charles said “I do” at St. Paul’s Cathedral on a beautiful July day. The wedding, described as a fairy tale, lasted only 15 years.
Diana and Charles divorced four years after their separation, and just a year later, Diana died in a tragic car accident in Paris.
Although she died very young, at 36, Diana made an enormous global impact. She supported many charitable causes and achieved a level of popularity that has never faded.
In 2012, for example, CBS reported that a survey showed Princess Diana was still the most popular member of the royal family in the United Kingdom. This popularity was due in part to her immense compassion for others.
Not everyone supported her
However, while many would argue she had undeniable qualities that made her beloved, there were also rumors that Diana was looked down upon—and surprisingly, some of that came from within the British royal family.
According to Patrick Jephson, Diana’s private secretary, Charles was never able to “accept his wife’s extraordinary popularity.”
The Telegraph also reported that the family did not support her when she chose to work with patients suffering from HIV/AIDS and leprosy.
Diana passed away in 1997, but before her death, she revealed that she had been keeping a secret from her husband at the time—now the King of England.
Battling many inner demons
Although the “wedding of the century” ended in a high-profile divorce, the couple did love each other and were united at times by that bond.
Diana and Charles met in 1977, when she was 16 and he was 29. At the time, he was dating her sister Sarah.
But as we all know, Charles eventually chose Diana, and in 1981 he proposed to her.
Diana was just 20 years old when she married the 32-year-old heir to the throne, and their first child was born the following year.
However, what should have been a happy time also became a deeply difficult period for Diana.
“I didn’t feel good enough”
The princess struggled with bulimia, and according to her, it worsened during her engagement.
In the book Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton, it is said that a comment by Charles was one of the triggers.
“Charles said, ‘You’re getting a bit chubby,’ and that started something,” Diana recalled.
Although the public adored the marriage, Diana lived under intense pressure. According to her, the media constantly pursued her, and she suffered from very low self-esteem.
She didn’t feel she was good enough for Charles.
In the book, Diana also spoke about several suicide attempts. At one point, while pregnant with Prince William, she threw herself down a staircase.
The birth of her son was not as joyful as it might have been.
The pressure from the British press kept growing, and Diana said she felt constantly watched. Eventually, her labor was induced.
“There was just one problem,” she explained.
“When we had William, we had to find a date in the calendar that suited Charles and his polo,” she said, adding:
“But the baby arrived and there was great excitement. Everyone was thrilled—we found a date that suited Charles and his polo so I could give birth. It was lovely; I felt grateful for that!”
Her mother’s response
A few years later, Diana became pregnant with her second child, Harry—and it was during this time that she kept a secret from Charles.
Charles had a strong desire to have a daughter, and Diana knew he would be disappointed.
“I knew Harry was going to be a boy because I saw it on the scan,” she said, adding:
“Charles always wanted a girl. He wanted two children, and he wanted a girl. I knew Harry was a boy, but I didn’t tell him.”
According to Diana, the birth was a major disappointment for Charles. His first reaction was:
“My God, it’s a boy!” followed by, “And he’s even got red hair!”
The book reveals that Charles once again expressed his disappointment during the christening—this time to Diana’s mother.
“We were so disappointed. We thought it would be a girl,” he said.
However, Diana clearly remembered how her mother quickly responded to the prince:
“You should realize how lucky you are to have a healthy child.”
According to Diana, the six weeks before Harry’s birth were the happiest period in their relationship.
“Unfortunately, that changed after the birth,” she said.
“And then suddenly, when Harry was born, everything went wrong—our marriage. Everything just collapsed.”
The couple separated in 1992, the same year the book was published, and officially divorced in 1996.
Diana died in 1997 in a car accident in Paris while trying to escape the media.
She was 36 years old, and millions of people watched her funeral.
A firefighter who found her at the crash scene heard her final words. He chose to reveal them 20 years after the accident.
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The 4 final and heartbreaking words of Princess Diana revealed by the firefighter who tried to save her
