Many jaw-dropping revelations surrounded (and keep surrounding) the marriage between King Charles III, then-Prince of Wales, and Princess Diana—some alleged, and some at the admission of the latter in a candid BBC interview presented by former journalist Martin Bashir and broadcasted on BBC1 on 20 November 1995.
Of the claims made by known acquaintances, though, one was observed in 2020, when former personal astrologer to Diana, Penny Thornton, revealed a bombshell confession the to-be Princess of Wales was faced with right before her globally-spectated, then-dubbed “fairytale wedding” with the now-Monarch.
As per the world-renowned astrologer, the then-Prince reportedly told Lady Diana Spencer that he didn’t love her the night before the big day. This sudden disclosure allegedly left the internationally beloved icon understandably devastated back then.
King Charles’s Reported Shocking Confession Devastated Princess Diana
Reports of the tumultuous relationship shared between the former Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales have and continue to make headlines even now. One of such revelations surfaced in 2020. In an ITV documentary, The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess, former personal astrologer to Princess Diana, Penny Thornton (via Mirror) claimed that now-King Charles III made a mind-boggling confession to his to-be first wife a night before their widely-spectated wedding ceremony.
The royalty reportedly told Lady Diana Spencer that he didn’t love her, on claims that he didn’t wish to enter the marriage on a “false premise.” Following was Thornton’s shocking statement:
“One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding, Charles told her … he didn’t love her. 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.”
Penny Thornton further emphasized how much then-Prince Charles’ bombshell confession hurt Princess Diana:
“She didn’t want to go through with the wedding at that point—she thought about not attending the wedding.”
Nevertheless, as we all know, the wedding ensued. The two tied the knot on 29 July 1981 at Paul’s Cathedral in London, United Kingdom. Their coupling was hailed as the “wedding of the century” and a “fairy tail wedding” at the time, and it was extensively covered in the media. It is believed that an estimated 750 million people watched their ceremony on television worldwide.
What at the time seemed magical would soon turn nightmarish after the truth surrounding their union and their subsequent separation was eventually unveiled. Incompatibility and adulterous affairs sealed the troubling fate of the relationship. Infamously, even before they had wedded, right around their engagement, then-Prince Charles made a curious statement that many today interpret as having evidenced the cracks in their ill-fated union.
When asked if the to-be married couple were in love, the now-Monarch’s response still reverberates across the British royal family history. “Whatever ‘in love’ means…” he had said to ITN (via YouTube) during an interview. In contrast, Princess Diana had affirmed, “Of course.”
Known biographer Penny Junor, who has written multiple books about the British royal family, also made a fascinating comment highlighting the reservations harbored by the now-King about wedlock-ing Lady Diana Spencer at the time.
King Charles Reportedly Believed Marrying Princess Diana Wasn’t The Right Thing To Do
In the Penny Junor-penned book about Camilla, the now-Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, titled, ‘The Duchess: The Untold Story,’ the biographer claimed that around the time of their wedding in 1981, Prince Charles wasn’t sure whether marrying the to-be Princess of Wales would be the right thing to do.
The author further claimed that he apparently harbored doubts about the union after an alleged change was observed in Lady Diana Spencer in the days leading up to their wedding, the Express reported. It was said that the former Prince of Wales had hoped their nuptials would conclude the problems.
Following was the author’s statement:
“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.”
After their widely-telecasted union, the two royal family members welcomed Prince William, their first son, on 21 June 1982. Prince Harry, the second son, was born on September 15, 1984. Although the marriage between then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana was heralded as one-of-a-kind, it failed to live up to the image it had portrayed in the media. The couple split up in 1992 and subsequently divorced in 1996.
A year before, in 1995, a shocking interview with former journalist Martin Bashir involved Princess Diana recounting the details of her troubled relationship with Prince Charles. The broadcast continues to be deemed contentious beyond the revelations about the highly sensationalized marriage but also because of reports that Bashir used “deceitful methods,” such as fabricating bank statements, to win the Princess’ trust.
On 31 August 1997, the Princess of Wales would soon meet her demise as a result of a car crash in Paris. Her passing was mourned worldwide, and her legacy endures among the millions who continue to hold immense admiration for the renowned personality.
Meanwhile, it was in 2022 that Prince Charles became the King of the United Kingdom upon his mother’s death on 8 September. On May 6, 2023, his coronation took place at Westminster Abbey. Much recently, news broke of the Monarch’s cancer diagnosis after Buckingham Palace issued a statement. The type and severity of the King’s cancer have not been disclosed. He is currently undergoing treatment.
