Revealed: The Devastating Letter Queen Elizabeth Wrote After Princess Diana’s Death
It’s no secret that Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth had a difficult relationship. At first– the queen was pleased about the match between the innocent young women and her firstborn son, Prince Charles. However, both the queen and the prince soon discovered that Princess Diana was her own person –and she was going to speak up and speak out regardless of the repercussions.
Though the Prince and Princess of Wales’ marriage came to a frosty end in 1996 –no one was more heartbroken than Queen Elizabeth at Princess Diana’s shocking death in Aug.1997. The typically reserved queen wrote a devastating letter to a dear friend after her daughter-in-law’s death.
The devastating letter Queen Elizabeth wrote after Princess Diana’s death
The world stood in shock on August 31, 1997, when news of Princess Diana’s death hit the airwaves. Quite quickly, Buckingham Palace became overrun with cards, notes, and flowers of people offering their condolences. For their part, the British Royal Family went into hiding –fleeing London while trying to comfort Prince William and Prince Harry from the horrifying loss. The queen was greatly criticized for her choice to close the door on the public.
Just six days after the princess’ death, Queen Elizabeth wrote to one of her closest aides, Lady Henriette Abel Smith. The letter read,
It was indeed dreadfully sad, and she is a huge loss to the country. But the public reaction to her death, and the service in the
Abbey, seem to have united peopleround the world in a rather inspiring way. William and Harry have been so brave and I am very proud of them. Emotions are still so mixed up but we have all been through a very bad experience!
What did Queen Elizabeth say to the public about Princess Diana’s death?
Though the queen expressed her true feelings to her good friend, she remained out of the public eye with her grandsons until the evening before Princess Diana’s funeral –Sept. 6, 1997. During a live broadcast she said, “[Diana] was an exceptional and gifted human being, In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.”
Inside Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth’s relationship
Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth were very different women –which often caused them to butt heads. Princess Diana was brutally outspoken and open about her pain and experience with the British Royal Family, something the queen did not quite appreciate.
The late princess also strived to be amongst the people which is something the queen has never really done. However, in the end, Queen Elizabeth had a lot of sympathy for her daughter-in-law. She realized that she had unwittingly signed up for a loveless marriage and she made the best out of it –which is something the queen admired. When the Princess and Prince of Wales divorced, the queen allowed Diana to remain at Kensington Palace, continue with her royal duties and even keep her –Her Royal Highness title.
Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!
