Princess Diana Discusses William & Harry at Christmas in Old Letter

last updated 30 September 2021

An old letter written by Princess Diana in 1990 reveals how excited young Prince William and Harry were for Christmas.
The letter, along with other correspondences written by the late princess, is expected to be auctioned off for nearly $4,000 by Lawrences Auctioneers of Bletchingley, Surrey.

Turns out that young Prince William and Harry were just as excited to celebrate the holidays as every other non-royal kid. Their mom, Princess Diana, revealed as such in a heartfelt letter she wrote on December 5, 1990, addressing the message to Ivy Woodward, a friend she made while visiting Prince Charles at the hospital earlier that year.

At the time, Prince William was eight years old while Prince Harry was six. “The boys are thrilled at the prospect of Christmas on the horizon," Diana wrote, "and have searched high and low for any parcels that might be coming their way!”

Diana met Woodward at the hospital that was treating Prince Charles for a broken arm, according to People (opens in new tab). Woodward's son was in a coma after a motorbike accident.

The late princess also included some personal advice to her friend, who seemed to be having some disagreements with her son's wife, Jane.

“It was lovely to hear that Dean has improved so much but he wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for his mother and your determination and strength to get him back to full health again,” she wrote. “Maybe Dean’s lady feels resentment for not being able to cope with that situation back in August and that can produce guilt and in turn confusion arrived and people are hurt and now Dean has arrived home and she (Jane) has turned very possessive. You mustn’t worry about it as time will iron things out.”

The letter, along with other letters written by Diana, will be auctioned for an estimated $3,875 by Lawrences Auctioneers of Bletchingley, Surrey, according to People.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are also known to handwrite letters (opens in new tab). For instance, Meghan wrote letters of thanks (opens in new tab) after she guest edited the September 2019 issue for British Vogue.

Read Princess Diana's Letters

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