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.
-
Princess Charlotte's Secret Tribute to Beloved Relative
The precious brooch was a special gift from an important person in Charlotte's life.
-
King Charles Views Kate as a "Huge Asset"
"It bodes well for the future."
-
Why Royal Fans "Feel Sorry" for Prince Louis
Meanwhile, King Charles couldn't stop laughing at his grandson's "cheeky" behavior.
-
Royal Expert Says King Charles Views Kate Middleton as a "Huge Asset" and Gave Her a "Powerful" Trooping the Colour Role
"It bodes well for the future."
-
Royal Fans "Feel Sorry" for Prince Louis After He's Told Off by Kate Middleton and Prince George for Two Very Different Reasons
Meanwhile, King Charles couldn't stop laughing at his grandson's "cheeky" behavior.
-
Body Language Expert Reveals Kate Middleton Can't "Mask Her Emotions" at Trooping the Colour 2025
"We also saw William...mirroring the same emotions as Kate."
-
Kate Middleton's Trooping the Colour Outfit Features a Special Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Catherine made sure the late monarch's presence was felt at the prestigious event.
-
Kate Middleton Channels Princess Diana in a Catherine Walker Coat Dress at Trooping the Colour 2025
The Princess of Wales even wore the same designer as her late mother-in-law.
-
Princess Diana's "Favorite" Royal Photographer Says There's One Photo He "Regrets" Taking of Her
"They didn't see me as I was hiding in the bushes."
-
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."