Diana almost didn't go through with the wedding, and even after she did, it did not last.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on August 5, 2022. It has since been updated.
King Charles and Princess Diana had a fairytale wedding that was viewed by millions of people, but there was a lot happening behind the scenes.
Penny Thornton, an astrologer consulted by Diana, spoke about a "devastating" blow in a documentary for ITV called The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess, which came out in 2020, nearly 25 years after Diana's explosive BBC interview, according to PEOPLE.
"One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding Charles told her that he didn't love her," Thornton said. "I think Charles didn't want to go into the wedding on a false premise. He wanted to square it with her and it was devastating for Diana."
Thornton added, "She didn't want to go through with the wedding at that point, she thought about not attending the wedding."
It was during the 1995 interview with reporter Martin Bashir that Diana revealed that both she and Charles had extra-marital affairs. King Charles was then linked with his ex-girlfriend Camilla Parker-Bowles, his current wife, and this affair was the main reason for his and Diana's separation in 1992.
In the interview, when Bashir asked Diana if Camilla was a "factor" for her marriage to fall apart, Diana replied: "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." Also, she admitted to having an affair with British former cavalry officer James Hewitt. "Yes, I adored him. Yes, I was in love with him," said Diana, in response to Bashir asking her if she was unfaithful to Charles during their marriage.
But, it was only after Charles and Diana's divorce in 1996, that the two realized they had feelings for each other, though not romantically. “After the divorce, Charles got a very good friend in Diana, because she understood him. Nobody is happy if their other half has affairs, but she loved Charles with all her heart,” healer and Princess Diana's friend, Simone Simmons said, according to Express UK.
And she continued to love him in her own way, though she wasn't pining for him and found love with someone else. They were working towards a better relationship, but they didn't have very long to see where it went, for in 1997, a year after their divorce, the people's princess lost her life in a tragic accident in Paris that broke the hearts of many and more so, changed the very lives of her sons.
“Charles only realized he loved her after she died. I don’t think he realized how much he loved Diana until she was gone. She was the first person who showed him real love,” said Simmons.
References:
https://people.com/royals/prince-charles-told-princess-diana-didnt-love-her-night-before-wedding/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Patrick Riviere
