Diana Wanted William and Harry to Know Charles Loved Her, Says Ingrid Seward
Diana, Princess of Wales told friends it was "very important" that her sons knew their father had loved her.
That account comes from royal biographer Ingrid Seward, who knew Diana and saw her shortly before her death in 1997. Speaking on a live recording of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast, published on 27 September 2026, Seward said Diana wanted Prince William and Prince Harry to understand that point about King Charles III. HELLO!
Seward said Diana also spoke warmly about Charles herself. She quoted Diana as saying she "really loved Charles", calling him "the one she would always love" and "the one that got away."
The detail centres on letters. Seward said Charles wrote Diana "beautiful love letters" during their courtship and marriage, praising her appearance, including what she quoted as praise for her "beautiful long brown legs." She said the exchange of letters between the couple is now held in the Royal Archives, the Royal Family's own private archive at Windsor Castle.
Charles and Diana married on 29 July 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral and formally separated in December 1992. Seward's assessment, given in an interview published on 25 September, was that Charles "did love" Diana but the two "were just not suited at the time."
Seward was speaking to promote her new book, titled 'Catherine & Diana'. An extract and interview connected to the book were published by HELLO! on 25 September, and The Telegraph carried a piece on the same date on the love letters. Seward has said before that Diana, shortly before her death, wished people could see the letters she had kept from Charles.
What makes this stand out is the source. Seward is not quoting documents. She is quoting conversations she says she had with Diana. Readers can weigh that accordingly.
Seward also addressed the wider family. She said recent comments about Charles by Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, will not have gone down well with William and Harry.
