Princess Diana's unhappy marriage to Prince Charles isn't exactly a secret, but the devastating nature of their relationship is finally being chronicled by Lady Di herself thanks to a series of recently-released audio transcripts which served as the source material for Andrew Morton's Diana: Her True Story. Here, the heart-breaking takeaways.
"My husband put his hand on my waistline and said: 'Oh, a bit chubby here, aren't we?' and that triggered off something in me. And the Camilla thing. I was desperate, desperate. I remember the first time I made myself sick. I was so thrilled because I thought this was the release of tension.... The first time I was measured for my wedding dress, I was 29 inches around the waist. The day I got married, I was 23½ inches. I had shrunk into nothing from February to July. I had shrunk to nothing."
"We stayed up there [at Balmoral] from August to October. I got terribly, terribly thin. People started commenting: 'Your bones are showing.' By October, I was in a very bad way. I was so depressed, and I was trying to cut my wrists with razor blades. It rained and rained and rained. I came down early [to London] to seek treatment, not because I hated Balmoral, but because I was in such a bad way."
On Finding Out Charles' Was in Love with Another Woman:
"The first thing that hit me was my [future] husband sending Camilla Parker Bowles flowers when she had meningitis: 'To Gladys from Fred'....I once heard him on the telephone in his bath on his hand-held set, saying: 'Whatever happens, I will always love you.' I told him afterwards that I had listened at the door, and we had a filthy row."
On Catching Charles Red-Handed:
"Somebody in his office told me that my husband had had a bracelet made for her, which she wears to this day. It's a gold chain bracelet with a blue enamel disc. It's got 'G and F' entwined in it, 'Gladys' and 'Fred.' I walked into this man's office one day and said: 'Oh, what's in that parcel?' He said: 'Oh, you shouldn't look at that.' I said: 'Well, I'm going to look at it.' I opened it, and there was [the] bracelet, and I said: 'I know where this is going.' I was devastated. This was about two weeks before we got married."
On Charles Being Obsessed with Her:
"He'd found the virgin, the sacrificial lamb, and in a way he was obsessed with me. But it was hot and cold, hot and cold. You never knew what mood it was going to be—up and down, up and down."
Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm. She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.
-
Anne Hathaway Says Online Vitriol from 'Hathahate' Cost Her Acting Roles
Meanwhile, as so many are, she was struggling through loss that she didn't speak about as the trolls piled on.
By Meghan De Maria Published
-
39 Items That Increased My Screen Time This Week
Spotted in my daydreams.
By Aniyah Morinia Published
-
Katie Holmes Cracks the Commuter Outfit Code
Her relatable wardrobe staples strike again.
By Lauren Tappan Published
-
Kate Middleton Gave an Honest, Eight-Word Assessment About the First Time She Met King Charles
The King and the Princess of Wales—famously close to one another—are both currently hospitalized at The London Clinic.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Diana Made a Sandringham Christmas Gaffe Because She and Prince Charles Didn't "Communicate Very Well," Commentator Says
Not great.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
How Did Queen Elizabeth Really Feel About Then-Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles’ Polarizing 2005 Wedding?
This week’s final installment of ‘The Crown’ will cover the wedding as the series wraps up for good.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Camilla Parker-Bowles Gave Kate Middleton Advice on “How to Hang Onto a Prince”—But Kate Struggled to Follow It
Camilla was “on standby” to give Kate advice in her early days of dating Prince William.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Queen Elizabeth and (Then) Prince Charles’ Relationship Suffered Because of His Relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, Andrew Morton Says
“He could love her, but he needed to leave her,” the Firm (and Her late Majesty) said at the time.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
If Prince Harry Does Attend the Coronation, He Will Avoid Bowing to Queen Consort Camilla
Plans are being drawn up to avoid the potentially awkward moment.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince George and Prince Louis Are "Protective" of Mom Kate in Mother's Day Photos, Body Language Expert Says
They have such a sweet relationship.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Royal Family Would “Collapse” Without Catherine, Princess of Wales, As the “Future Rests on Her”
No pressure!
By Rachel Burchfield Published