Secret Letters From Diana Reveal Just How ‘Ugly’ Things Were Before Divorce: “I'm On My Knees…”

Princess Diana’s tumultuous marriage to Prince Charles is still the subject of much tabloid fodder. The late Princess' rocky marriage ended in divorce as Charles pursued a long affair with old flame Camilla Parkar Bowles. Years later, the resurfacing of confidential letters written by Diana to her close friends, details just how bad things were for her.

Princess Diana had a close-knit circle of friends who offered love and support during her tough times. Among them were Susie and Tarek Kassem, who were her rock and shield during her divorce. The Kassem family once described her as a butterfly, a symbol of her grace amid chaos. Diana often wrote about her emotional breakdown stemming from her ‘ugly’ split from Charles. One letter, dated April 28, 1996, reads, “It’s too difficult sometimes, and today I am on my knees and just longing for this divorce to go through as the possible cost is tremendous. It’s desperate and ugly.” The Princess had agreed to divorce Charles after the Queen urged the pair following Diana's Martin Bashir interview. Their divorce was finalized in August 1996.

Thirty-two letters from the late Princess were treasured by her pals for over 25 years, which are now up for auction. The memos are estimated to sell for about $111,000 with Cornwall-based Lay’s Auctioneers. The revenue will be donated to various charities that Diana supported throughout her life. A statement from the auction house read, “The Kassems would like to give other people the opportunity of acquiring ‘a memento’ of the Princess, and in doing so, support causes that were important to her.” Lay’s Auctioneers’ Mimi Connell-Lay told the Mirror that many of the letters were raw and astonishing. She shared, “She wrote a lot about what was going on in her life at the time, especially her divorce, and repeatedly referred to not having the support from the royal family.”

Few know that Diana was haunted by a peculiar paranoia during her divorce. She became convinced that her phone was bugged and that her private conversations were being eavesdropped on. In one of her letters dated May 20, 1996, Diana described to Susie, “As I don’t have a mobile, it is difficult to discuss personal issues as my lines here are constantly recorded and passed on.” As this paranoia plagued Diana, Bashir, who conducted her infamous BBC Panorama interview, reportedly preyed on the same to manipulate her into speaking to him.

The Princess of Wales had first met Susie at the Royal Brompton Hospital, and the pair clicked right away. She always valued and paid heed to her advice, especially as she struggled with loneliness and depression.