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A new revelation about the turbulent marriage of Princess Diana and the then-Prince Charles brings the British royal family back into the spotlight. In an excerpt from the book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Charles Spencer, Lady Di's brother, recalled a conversation he had with her shortly before she decided to divorce Charles. According to Spencer’s account, Diana told him that her husband was “in love with his valet,” meaning a personal assistant who worked for him.
The revelation made by the late Princess Diana’s brother about the current King of the United Kingdom having been in love with someone else shook the entire world, especially since for years the relationship between Charles and Camilla was pointed to as one of the main reasons for the Prince and Princess of Wales’s marital crisis.
At the time, the "People's Princess" spoke publicly about the presence of a third person in her marriage and, in a 1995 interview, used the well-known expression that there were “three” people in her marriage, in reference to Camilla.
Spencer’s new revelation adds another piece to that story, albeit from a different perspective: Diana supposedly believed that Charles had feelings for someone else in his personal circle.
According to the excerpt from Charles Spencer’s book, published by the Daily Mail, the princess invited her brother to lunch. During that meal, Diana informed him that she had decided to divorce Charles. "She looked down at the table and said: 'Charles, I am going to get a divorce'".
Spencer says he knew the marriage was going through problems, but his sister’s decision surprised him. He even expressed his concern about the public’s reaction, as he believed many people had bought into the image of a fairy-tale marriage.
It was then that, according to Spencer’s recollection, Diana replied that her husband was in love with his valet. "But, Charles, my husband is in love with his valet," the then-Princess of Wales specified.
According to Charles Spencer, that confession shocked him, and he replied: "Well, I suppose, in that case, you have no choice".
Who was the assistant Diana was talking about?
Diana did not mention the name of the alleged assistant. The word valet refers to a personal assistant, usually male, in charge of attending to various aspects of a man’s daily life, such as his clothing and personal items.
The marriage of Diana and Charles
Diana and Charles were married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The marriage had two children: William and Harry.
Their relationship began to deteriorate publicly during the 1980s and ended with the couple’s separation in 1992. Later, Charles acknowledged his infidelity and the relationship with Camilla.
The divorce of Diana and Charles was finalized in 1996, one year before the princess's death.
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