Princess Diana's Former Bodyguard Reveals the Unexpected Trait She and King Charles Had in Common
Apparently, both King Charles and Princess Diana strongly believed in the power of the written word.
Princess Diana has long been remembered as one of the most loving, caring, and relatable royals, earning her enduring title as the People’s Princess. Throughout her extraordinary life, she witnessed a lot of ups and downs, and the most trusted person who was always by her side was her bodyguard, Ken Wharfe.
In a conversation with Marie Claire, he recently opened up about how Diana had a very different side, which her ardent fans rarely witnessed. Unexpectedly, Wharfe also claimed that despite their complicated marriage, the princess shared a surprising and meaningful trait with King Charles: a deep appreciation for letter writing. Wharfe explained that the King has always been a passionate letter writer, often going above and beyond to express his emotions through the written word.
The monarch is known to send more than 2,400 letters every single year. Wharfe also highlighted how much Diana believed in showing appreciation to others, even during periods of personal hardship.
Elaborating on this, he explained, “Diana was a prolific letter writer. I used to encourage her not to write quite so many letters, but I think it was part of her aristocratic upbringing.” Wharfe further added, “She'd been brought up to believe that if somebody showed you kindness or hospitality, you always wrote to say thank you,” noting that she wrote constantly, with letters that were wonderfully warm and often very funny. In fact, a collection of her heartfelt notes and letters went up for auction recently, including a relatable thank-you note she personally wrote for a Buckingham Palace footman.
She also used to love giving little gifts to people, which is why they used to call her “generous.” For instance, during a visit to Washington, D.C., when she was temporarily blinded by the constant flashing of paparazzi cameras, a Secret Service agent took her hand and helped her safely down the stairs. Later, she told Wharfe, “She said, 'Oh, he was very nice, Ken. Perhaps I should give him a present tomorrow for being so helpful.'”
He further added, “The next day, Diana brought a signed photograph to give to the agent, but he’d hidden himself behind one of the bushes outside the White House as he found out that people don’t typically touch members of the Royal Family, and he was too embarrassed to show his face. In the end, I had to persuade him to come out so she could give him the signed photograph. It's perhaps a slightly unusual story, but it perfectly sums up the way she treated people!”
