Unearthed Princess Diana Letter to Fan Reveals Her Hopes for William & Harry After Panorama Fallout
A handwritten two-page letter penned by the late Princess of Wales will be going under the hammer as part of Reeman Dansie's ‘Royalty, Antiques & Fine Art’ sale.
A rare piece of Princess Diana's personal correspondence is set to be offered at an auction, providing a glimpse into her mindset in the aftermath of one of the most controversial moments of her life. On June 9, a handwritten two-page letter penned by the late Princess of Wales will be going under the hammer as part of Reeman Dansie's ‘Royalty, Antiques & Fine Art’ sale. Written on Kensington Palace stationery and dated November 27, 1995, the letter was sent to a fan named Michael Barratt following Diana's explosive BBC Panorama interview and is expected to fetch between £3,000 and £4,000 (approx. $4,000 to $5,300).
This newly unearthed letter offers an insight into Princess Diana’s hopes for Prince William and Prince Harry in the immediate aftermath of her highly controversial BBC Panorama interview. According to PEOPLE, Reeman Dansie from the auction house revealed that the late princess thanked Barratt for his supportive message and explained that “the contents” and “his profound words” struck an emotional chord with her. In fact, she could particularly relate to “his sentiments of self-knowledge and moving on in life.” Auctioneer James Grinter of Reeman Dansie explained that the Princess genuinely believed her interview would help other women facing similar hardships. “The Panorama interview will help other women in similar difficulties, and she looks forward to the future and sharing with and teaching William and Harry the importance of communication on a deeper level." Due to these reasons, the letter to Barratt comes off as "invaluable," and she thanks him very deeply. "With my best wishes, Yours sincerely, Diana.” The original envelope is also part of the lot.
These remarks offer a fresh perspective on Diana’s mindset following the explosive television broadcast. Secretly filmed at Kensington Palace and aired by the BBC in November 1995, the Panorama interview featured the Princess speaking candidly about the collapse of her marriage to then-Prince Charles. The most striking moment came when she famously remarked, "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded"—a direct nod to Charles's relationship with Camilla. The interview ultimately proved a turning point in the royal saga, prompting Queen Elizabeth II to urge the couple to officially divorce.
The newly surfaced letter stands as a reminder of the painful chapter that followed its writing. While Charles and Diana had separated in 1992, their divorce was formally announced in December 1995, and the marriage was legally dissolved in August 1996. Tragically, Diana died in a Paris car crash just one year later, at the age of 36, making her reflections on William and Harry incredibly bittersweet in retrospect.
The anticipated auction scheduled for June 9 will also feature another rare piece of Diana memorabilia: official documentation from her April 18, 1996, sitting with Madame Tussauds. According to Dansie, the records detail everything—from her hair and complexion to her exact cosmetic choices, listing specific shades like the 'Lancôme black' eyeliner and Estée Lauder's 'All-Day Rose' and 'Lip Beige R36' lipsticks. Estimated at between £500 and £1,000 (approx. $670 to $1,300), the auction house has described the lot as "a unique opportunity to study the makeup and styling used by one of the most beautiful and famous women in the world."
