Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Uniqlo x Cecilie Bahnsen
    • Perfume Necklaces
    • The Board Whisperers
    • Choulie
    • Holiday Movies
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Princess Diana Once Revealed King Charles Said He "Never Loved" Her During "One of Their Epic Arguments," Royal Butler Claims

    "I only married you to have children."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 8 September 2025 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Princess Diana wears a cerise pink dress and diamonds, and King Charles wears a tuxedo
    (Image credit: Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Much has been reported about Princess Diana and King Charles's tumultuous relationship, with Netflix's The Crown dedicating multiple seasons to their romance. Now, a former royal employee is opening up about alleged insights Princess Diana shared about arguments she had with King Charles while they were still married.

    Diana and Charles announced their separation in 1992, and finalized their divorce on August 28, 1996. In his new book, The Royal Insider: My Life with The Queen, The King, and Princess Diana, former royal butler Paul Burrell shares many revelations about the couple.

    Burrell wrote in the book, which is being serialized by the Daily Mail, "Diana once told me that Charles had told her in the middle of one of their epic arguments: 'I never loved you. I only married you to have children.'"

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Princess Diana wears a pink floral dress and pink hat to hold Prince William on August 4, 1982 at his royal christening

    "Charles had told her in the middle of one of their epic arguments: 'I never loved you.'"

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    The Royal Insider: My Life With the Queen, the King and Princess Diana

    Audible
    'The Royal Insider: My Life With The Queen, The King, and Princess Diana'
    $15
    SHOP NOW

    Recalling his experiences working for King Charles and Princess Diana, Burrell explained, "I didn't realize that I had entered a war zone when I left The Queen's service in 1987 to work for Charles and Diana."

    According to the former butler, Diana told him, "He never wanted a lover. He wanted a mother." He continued, "She always loved Charles, but she despised Camilla Parker Bowles, the 'other woman.'"

    You may like
    • King Charles and Princess Diana embrace, Charles is wearing a yellow sweater with a shirt underneath and Diana has short blonde hair Charles Begged People Not to "Say Bad Things About" Diana
    • King Charles wears naval uniform and Princess Diana wears a white pinstripe outfit with a matching hat on a boat in La Spezia, Italy, April 20, 1985. Diana Believed She Could "Conquer the World" With Charles
    • Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) and Prince Charles at Victoria Station, London, where they will welcome a state delegation from Nigeria, March 1989. Why Queen Elizabeth "Was Furious" With Princess Diana

    Princess Diana and Prince Charles in a carriage on their wedding day

    "I didn't realize that I had entered a war zone."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Burrell also reflected on the demise of Charles and Diana's marriage, claiming that the princess shared many private insights about the downfall with him.

    "It wasn't until Harry was born on September 15, 1984, just over two years later, that her fate was confirmed," the former butler explained, "Charles came into the hospital room, looked in the cot and said: 'Oh, red hair.'"

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Diana reportedly responded that red hair runs in the Spencer family, but this allegedly didn't placate Charles. "He said: 'Well at least I've got my heir and spare now and I can return to Camilla,'" the former butler alleged.

    The then-Princess of Wales reportedly told Burrell, "I cried myself to sleep that night knowing that my marriage was over."

    Explore More
    Diana King Charles relationships
    Amy Mackelden
    Amy Mackelden
    Social Links Navigation
    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

    Read more
    King Charles and Princess Diana embrace, Charles is wearing a yellow sweater with a shirt underneath and Diana has short blonde hair
    Royals Charles Begged People Not to "Say Bad Things About" Diana
    By Amy Mackelden
    Prince Charles kissing Princess Diana on the cheek in India
    Royals One Photo Revealed the Truth About Diana and Charles's Failing Marriage
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    King Charles and Queen Camilla wearing tweed jackets and kilts sitting next to each other
    Royals King Charles Treats Queen Camilla Differently Than Diana in One Major Way
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Diana wearing her black revenge dress
    Royals Exclusive: Royal Historian Says Princess Diana Tore the Royal Family's "Cinderella" Myth "to Pieces"
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales (R) walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George of Wales (C), as he arrives for his first day at Eton College on September 8, 2026
    Royals Prince George Might Be Forced to Deal With a "Bad Idea" at Eton
    SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK - DECEMBER 25: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2024 in Sandringham, Norfolk. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
    Royals Why George, Charlotte, and Louis Skipped Remembrance Sunday
     
     
    Princess Kate wearing a new coat dress for Remembrance Sunday 2026
    Royals Princess Kate's New Coat Dress Alludes to Princess Diana
    Princess Kate wears a polka dot dress and joins Prince William at The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance event at the Royal Albert Hall, in London, on November 7, 2026
    Royals Princess Kate Brings Back the Polka Dot Trend
     
     
    Latest in News
    Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales (R) walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George of Wales (C), as he arrives for his first day at Eton College on September 8, 2026
    Royals Prince George Might Be Forced to Deal With a "Bad Idea" at Eton
    Zoe Kravitz carrying a rare vintage Fendi Baguette in New York City
    Celebrity Style Zoë Kravitz's Fendi Baguette Collection Is Growing
     
     
    Emily Ratajkowski wears a revealing Gucci white gown with a prominent leg slit and side boob
    Celebrity Style Emily Ratajkowski Delivers a New Twist on the Naked Dress
    SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK - DECEMBER 25: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2024 in Sandringham, Norfolk. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
    Royals Why George, Charlotte, and Louis Skipped Remembrance Sunday
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.