New Documents Reveal Diana’s ‘Predatory’ Media Tactics — and the ‘War’ She Launched Against Charles
Diana was reportedly viewed within Palace circles as significantly more effective than Charles at managing press attention following the breakdown of their marriage.
Princess Diana was reportedly viewed within Palace circles as significantly more effective than King Charles at managing press attention following the breakdown of their marriage. Newly released documents have indicated that Diana was regarded as 'predatory' while approaching the media and was determined to shape public narratives against her husband.
Diana and Charles separated in December 1992, but their divorce was finalized only in August 1996. These years were marked by press leaks, bombshell interviews, and mounting public backlash, which the couple sought to undo by throwing the other under the bus. According to The Times, the recently released files from Ireland’s National Archives reveal how diplomats from the Republic of Ireland weighed up the so-called 'media war' between the Prince and Princess of Wales. In the documents, which date back almost 30 years, one name stands out.
The reports documented Charles’s official visit to Ireland in June 1995, and contain comments made by his then-deputy press secretary, Sandy Henney. It was from a discussion with the diplomat Joe Hayes. According to the latter, Henney celebrated the success of the visit and “remarked that if practice to date was any guide, we could shortly expect an approach from Princess Diana.” The comment suggested an expectation of immediate countercoverage from Diana’s camp.
Hayes wrote that he initially perceived the remark as humorous before Henney clarified her position. The former stated, “I took this as a joke until she repeated it and assured me that in the media battle between the two, the Princess was by far the more predatory and skilled, and her staff devoted a great deal of time to finding ways and means of upstaging St. James's Palace.” Diana reportedly had a team that “devoted a great deal of time” to eclipse the Palace’s messaging making it one of the most volatile periods in modern royal history.
Within the same report, Charles' visit to Ireland was described as a “part of a long-term public relations strategy to rehabilitate the Prince in the eyes of the British public.” After all, his reputation had faced a severe blow since his extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles had come to light. Eventually, however, the trip was scrapped.
