Prince Charles Confessed to Princess Diana the Night Before Their Wedding That He Didn’t Love Her, Friend Says
Both went on with the wedding, feeling it was too late to pull out of it.


On July 29, 1981—41 years ago yesterday—Prince Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer in what was heralded at the time as a fairytale wedding and the wedding of the century.
Now, of course, we know that was not the case, that Charles and Diana were a mismatch, and that Charles was likely in love with someone else on his wedding day—Camilla Parker-Bowles (now his second wife, known as the Duchess of Cornwall) who was in attendance at St. Paul’s Cathedral that day, along with 3,500 other people.
The Mirror reports that, the night before the wedding, Charles, 32, told Diana, who had just turned 20 earlier in the month, that he didn’t love her and did not want to go into the marriage on a false premise, the outlet reports. Understandably, this left the soon-to-be Princess of Wales devastated.
Speaking on an ITV documentary called The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess, Diana’s astrologer Penny Thornton says that Diana confessed this to her.
“One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding, Charles told her that he didn’t love her,” Thornton says. “I think Charles didn’t want to go into the wedding on a false premise. He wanted to square it with her, and it was devastating for Diana.”
Charles and Diana had only met a handful of times before announcing their engagement in February 1981, when Charles infamously, upon being asked if he was in love, replied “Whatever ‘in love’ means.” (Diana, for her part, answered “Of course.”) Thornton says Diana almost didn’t “go through with the wedding at that point. She thought about not attending the wedding. But, despite the concerns on both sides, the wedding went ahead the next day.”
Biographer Penny Junor—who has written many books about the royal family, including The Duchess: The Untold Story, about Camilla—claims that Charles also wanted to pull out of the wedding, but thought it was too late.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
“Charles was not convinced he was doing the right thing in marrying Diana, but there was no way out and, bolstered by the hope that things would be different once they were married, he put a brave face on it,” Junor writes.
By 1984, the couple had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and strains were evident in the relationship by the end of the 1980s. They separated in 1992 and ultimately divorced in 1996. After Diana’s death in a car accident in 1997, Charles married Camilla in 2005.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
2000s Nostalgia Is As Prevalent As Ever. But These Authors Aren't Sure Our Cultural Obsession Is for the Best
The 'Culture Creep,' 'Girl on Girl,' and 'Waiting for Britney Spears' writers discuss their new books and why we can't let Y2K go.
-
Princess Eugenie Has "Formed an Alliance" With Prince William
A "shared passion" has "brought the cousins closer together."
-
Pajama Dressing 101 Is in Session With Jennifer Lawrence
She elevated a nightgown and slippers with a rare Prada bag.
-
Why Princess Diana Once "Canceled Lunch" at Kensington Palace to Take Prince William and Prince Harry to McDonald's
A former royal chef revealed the relatable reason Diana took her kids to the popular fast food chain.
-
Why Princess Diana Felt "Let Down Terribly" on Her Wedding Day When Her Mother "Kept Crying"
"She kept...saying that she couldn't cope with the pressure."
-
I Dressed Like Princess Diana For a Week—and Something Unexpected Happened
Call it the Diana Effect.
-
Princess Diana "Wound Down Her Window" and Gave a Bride Some Brutal Advice After Her Divorce From Prince Charles
Someone track this couple down ASAP.
-
Prince William and Prince Harry Could Be "Tempted" to Secretly Bid on Their Mother's Outfits in New Auction
Who could blame them?
-
Princess Diana's Wedding Dress Designer Stored a Secret "Sister Dress" of One Famous Design at Hampton Court Palace
The dress is up for auction in the largest Diana fashion sale ever.
-
Why King Charles Will Be "Forced" to Skip One Trooping the Colour Tradition in 2025 and "Leave It Behind Forever"
It's the end of an era.
-
How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Paid Tribute to Princess Diana With Princess Lilibet's 4th Birthday Celebration
The Sussexes spent "two days of pure joy" at Disneyland with their children.