Princess Diana’s little-known point of contention in King Charles marriage unveiled

Throughout her marriage to King Charles, Princess Diana lived with her husband at Kensington Palace in London. However, the late Princess of Wales hated London, a previously unpublished letter to a schoolfriend has revealed.

According to the letter, which was published in The Telegraph on 23 May, the Princess said she was enjoying “endless sun” and “calm seas” during a cruise on the Royal Yacht Britannia. 

The letter, which was written on royal crested paper from Balmoral Castle shortly after the 1981 royal wedding, was addressed to Katherine Hanbury, a former classmate at West Heath Girls’ School in Kent.

It read: “We had a blissful honeymoon with endless sun and luckily calm seas… we are now up in Scotland until the end of October, which is a big treat for us – I adore being outside all day & hate London!”

Diana’s London residence 

After their 1981 wedding, the then-Prince and Princess of Wales moved into Apartments 8 and 9 at Kensington Palace. Later, Diana transformed the third storey into a nursery for her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

© Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Diana infused her own flair into the space visually with the help of interior designer Dudley Poplak. It featured a whimsical feel with a bubblegum pink sofa and ditsy floral wallpaper.

Despite insisting she hated London, Diana maintained the Kensington Palace apartments as her base after she split from Charles in 1992. Following her death in 1997, the apartments “had been left empty for a decade” when builders began renovating them that year, according to a 2008 Guardian report. 

© Tim Graham Photo Library via Get

Repairs had initially been priced up at £250,000, but they rose to £524,000 due to the poor state of the boilers used to heat the property. Refurbishments on the property were scheduled to be completed in 2012, according to a Today article from 2011.

A rare insight into Diana’s introduction to married life

The letter also offered an insight into how Diana was adapting to married life. She penned: “Its [sic] wonderful being married – I think its [sic] safe to say that after two months…!,” adding: “Its [sic] a case of playing with grown ups!”

© Tim Graham Photo Library via Get

It came after Diana and Charles boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia after their wedding on 29 July for a 12-day cruise of the Mediterranean before heading to Balmoral for some months.

The letter forms part of a collection of items that are set to be auctioned by the recipient at a Gorringe’s Fine Art & Interiors sale in Lewes, East Sussex, in July. The collection also includes photos of Diana at school, including one with actress Tilda Swinton.