CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL was unaffected by Diana, Princess of Wales’ “bold” confrontation over her affair with Prince Charles, according to a friend of the late princess.
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the car crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, her partner Dodi Al-Fayed and their driver Henri Paul. While travelling from the Ritz hotel in Paris, Mr Paul lost control of the vehicle at a high speed and collided with a pillar in the Alma tunnel. The vehicle was being pursued by paparazzi on mopeds, who had followed the black Mercedes from the hotel. Diana had become a global superstar since entering the royal fold at the age of 19.
Media coverage of the Royal Family had grown massively in the years since her and Prince Charles’ relationship began, with interest in the young princess reaching levels the House of Windsor had not seen before. And much like the beginning of their romance, its ultimate demise was also detailed in the press. Diana and Charles endured a tumultuous relationship, with both royals engaging in extramarital affairs. The Prince of Wales’ long-term mistress was his old friend Camilla Parker-Bowles, now the heir’s second wife and styled as the Duchess of Cornwall.
Diana was aware of her husband’s affair and, at one point, took matters into her own hands. According to her friend and astrologer, Debbie Frank, the princess “confronted” Camilla about her relationship with Charles. Ms Frank met Diana in 1989, when the princess was 28 and had been married to Charles for eight years. She described Diana as “very open” and recalled having lunch “at the Palace many, many times…just the two of us”.
The pair even spoke about the royal’s turbulent relationship with the heir to the throne.. Ms Frank said: “Charles was pretty much living at Highgrove, and Camilla was very nearby.” She described the moment Diana confronted Camilla, to which the Duchess responded: “You’ve got everything you’ve ever wanted. What more do you want?” Diana answered: “My husband.” Ms Frank continued: “It was a big act of boldness to be able to confront her.
“But, of course, Camilla is really just a very unflinching person. I don’t think it made any difference at all. “But it made a big difference to Diana. She needed to get herself together, which she did.” The princess turned herself to her public role, focusing her energy on her charitable, philanthropic and humanitarian efforts. In 1996, following her and Charles’ eventual divorce, Diana relinquished her ‘HRH’ title and was no longer a working royal, yet she continued to work closely with charities and organisations she held dear.
In the years before her death, the princess had become a prominent advocate for the anti-landmine campaign, a vocal supporter for those in the homeless community and had continued to challenge the stigma surrounding AIDS/HIV. It has previously been said Diana was “taking back her life” as she learned to navigate life outside of the royal confines.
Kinsey Schofield, founder and creator of ToDiForDaily.com, told Express.co.uk: “This was not a woman who was unravelling. “This was a woman who was taking control of the situation. “She was taking back her life. “By the end of her life, she had changed the narrative and she had taken control of her circumstances.” Ms Schofield echoed the words of Diana’s younger brother Earl Spencer, who said his sister was “looking for a new direction in her life” at the time of her death at just 36.
