Prince Charles "Desperately" Wanted to Call Off His Wedding to Princess Diana, According to a New Biography
In his new book, Charles At Seventy: Thoughts, Hopes And Dreams, royal biographer Robert Jobson reveals that Prince Charles never wanted to marry Princess Diana. Here are some of the biggest reveals from the biography.

If you've ever seen a photo of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, then you probably already know that their relationship was never a particularly happy one. In a new biography called Charles At Seventy: Thoughts, Hopes And Dreams, royal biographer Robert Jobson confirms what royal watchers have long suspected from Charles' barely-veiled hints: He never really wanted to marry Diana in the first place.
Jobson has been a a royal reporter for almost three decades and recently spent 18 months accompanying Charles on official tours around the world while researching the new book, which will be released on November 1, according to The Mirror.
Here are some of the biggest reveals from the new book, which is being serialized in the Daily Mail leading up to its release:
Charles was "desperate" to get out of the wedding:
"I desperately wanted to get out of the wedding in 1981, when during the engagement I discovered just how awful the prospects were, having had no chance whatsoever to get to know Diana beforehand," he told friends, according to the book.
Prince Philip was also concerned about the engagement:
According to Jobson, he told Charles that he "should either propose to [Diana] or release her."
Philip apparently wrote this to Charles in a letter, which some have said was "curt," but which Jobson's sources say wasn't.
"It was measured and sensitive," Charles's cousin, Lady Pamela Hicks, who says she read Philip's letter herself, told Jobson
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Prince Charles doesn't blame his parents for his marriage to Diana:
Charles blames the media for pushing him into an engagement:
"More important, insiders say Charles does not blame his father or mother at all for his unhappy marriage. Nor does he blame them for his inability to back out of the engagement," Jobson writes.
"Things were very different in those days," Charles told close friends, according to Jobson. "The power and influence of the media driving matters towards an engagement and wedding were unstoppable. To have withdrawn, as you can no doubt imagine, would have been cataclysmic. Hence I was permanently between the devil and the deep blue sea."
RELATED STORIES
Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.












-
Princess Diana's Wedding Gown Was Inspired by a Supermodel's "Fairytale" Dress—And the Original Is Now on eBay
You'll never believe the price.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Prince Charles Found One Aspect of Marriage With "Mercurial" Princess Diana "Difficult to Cope With"
A former royal journalist opened up about her encounters with the late royal.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Princess Diana Saw Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's Divorce as a "Roadmap of How to Mess It Up"
The late princess used her brother-in-law and sister-in-law's split as a learning opportunity for her own breakup.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
The Surprising Detail About Princess Diana's Earrings You Probably Missed at Kate Middleton's Latest Appearance
The Princess of Wales wore her late-mother-in-law's pearl drops for Commonwealth Day 2025.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
7 Times the Royal Family Broke Queen Elizabeth's More Understated "Rule"
These royal women are doing it their way.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Americans Have a Surprising Favorite Member of the Royal Family, Per Latest Poll—and It Isn't Princess Kate
The rankings are wildly different than the same U.K. survey.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Surprise! Gabby Windey Is Married—All the Details on Her Secret $799 Wedding to Girlfriend Robby Hoffman
She's a 'Bachelorette' no more.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Inside Princess Diana's Secret Island Getaways—And How They Differed From William and Kate's
The late royal enjoyed (mostly) private vacations thanks to one man's help.
By Kristin Contino Published