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    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

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    Princess Diana wears a cerise pink dress and diamonds, and King Charles wears a tuxedo
    (Image credit: Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images)
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    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.'"

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    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)

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    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.'"

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    "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.'"

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    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."

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    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.

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