Princess Diana's Butler Shares Her Private Letter About Prince Harry and Prince William
Paul Burrell, former butler to Princess Diana, has unearthed a never-before-seen private letter from Princess Diana to him. The words are particularly meaningful right now.
- As spotted by HELLO!, Princess Diana's butler shared a personal letter she'd sent him, which seems particularly poignant now.
- In it, she explains, "I love my boys to death and hope that the seeds I’ve planted will grow and bring the strength, knowledge, and stability that is needed."
- A recent letter of Diana's up for auction also reveals some of her home life with Harry and William.
Paul Burrell, former butler to Princess Diana, has unearthed a never-before-seen private letter from Princess Diana to him. The words are particularly meaningful in the wake of reported rifts between Prince Harry, Prince William, and Prince Charles after Harry and Meghan Markle suddenly resigned as senior members of the Royal Family.
"I love my boys to death and hope that the seeds I’ve planted will grow and bring the strength, knowledge, and stability that is needed," the excerpt reads. Burrell explained why he was sharing the message now: "They are a mother’s words of unconditional love which are as appropriate today as they were when she wrote them over 24 years ago." At least in Harry's case, the strength to carve his own path must have been extreme. Hopefully reports are also true that the brothers have resolved their differences through secret peace talks.
It seems pretty clear that Harry's thinking of his mother right now. He referenced her specifically (and her death) in a recent speech explaining why he's stepping back. Not only that, but it bears a striking resemblance to Princess Diana's similar stepping-back speech in 1993. He's also said that the paparazzi and British media scrutiny on his family reminds him of what happened to his mom, and he's taking steps to protect his family.
He earlier published another small excerpt (from what I'm assuming is the same letter). He explained, "In my heart I know that she would want Harry and Meghan to be happy above all else. Yesterday I found a letter which the Princess wrote to me so many years ago and one line jumped out from the page. In her hand she wrote...'I would look up and laugh and love and live.'" You can swipe to see the excerpt:
Really sweet, and really poignant.
Princess Diana's Most Iconic Fashion Moments
August 9, 1997
Princess Diana visited Bosnia to raise awareness of the landmines in 1997. The royal wore her Cartier watch and Tod's loafers.
May 22, 1997
Princess Diana visited The Shaukat Memorial Hospital in Pakistan. She wore a traditional blue ensemble and carried a handbag from Tod's, which is named after her.
April 21, 1997
Princess Diana wore a Chanel tweed suit set and carried a handbag designed by Lana Marks while visiting the British Lung Foundation.
January 1, 1997
Princess Diana spotted in NYC wore a foam green skirt suit and carried a white Chanel bag.
September 12, 1996
Princess Diana stunned in a white Versace mini dress while attending a concert in Italy.
November 1995
Princess Diana visited Liverpool while wearing a Versace orange skirt suit (shop a similar orange jacket here) and carried Dior's lady bag.
November 1, 1995
Princess Di was spotted leaving the Chelsea Harbour Club in a Virgin Atlantic sweatshirt, orange biker shorts, and Reebok socks.
June 5, 1996
The royal wore a purple Versace dress and Jimmy Choo pumps while attending a gala dinner in Chicago.
June 29, 1994
Princess Diana arrived at the Serpentine Gallery in London. She opted for an off-the-shoulder dress by Christina Stambolian. (You can shop a similar one here.)
May 30, 1993
Princess Diana arrived at Heathrow Airport while carrying a Salvatore Ferragamo bag and Tanner Krolle trunk.
December 23,1990
Princess Diana and Prince William attended the christening of her niece in Sandringham in a houndstooth ensemble and Chanel slingbacks.
May 1, 1990
Princess Diana donned a Catherine Walker suit with a Philip Somerville hat to visit Heroes' Square in Budapest.
April 11, 1990
The royal enjoyed a beach holiday in Necker with her sons. She chose an animal print one-piece swimsuit and wore a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses.
July 27,1989
Princess Diana attended the performance of Swan Lake in London. She wore a Catherine Walker gown.
June 1989
Princess Diana and Prince Harry were spotted leaving nursery school. Lady Di wore a pink buttoned dress and accessorized with a Cartier watch.
March 17, 1989
Princess Diana visited Dubai during her official tour of the Gulf States. Lady Di wore Catherine Walker ensemble and a Philip Somerville hat.
March 15, 1989
The princess wore a pink and red color block Catherine Walker dress and a Philip Somerville hat during her official tour of the Gulf States.
November 9, 1988
Princess Diana wore Catherine Walker white ensemble in Chambord, France during her official visit to the country.
June 23, 1988
Princess Diana visited the Royal Hampshire Regiment. She was seen wearing a jumpsuit and a pair of pink Converse sneakers.
June 10, 1988
Princess Diana stepped out to play tennis at the Vanderbilt Raquet Club in London. She wore Reebok sneakers and carried a Wilson racket.
July 18, 1986
Princess Diana, seen on the steps of her home in Highgrove, Gloucestershire. She wore gingham trousers, pink sweater, and white boat shoes (shop similar).
November 3, 1985
The royal attended a polo match in Australia. She choose a striped shirt dress and accessorized with a D initial necklace and a Patek Philippe gold watch.
June 30, 1985
Princess Diana attended a polo match while wearing a white sailor top, floral skirt, and a Patek Philippe watch.
May 4, 1985
Princess Diana wore a Bruce Oldfield dress during a visit to Venice. (Shop a similar blue strong shoulder dress.)
July 29, 1983
Princess Diana attended a polo match in West Sussex while wearing seersucker trousers, a white top, and acetate aviator sunglasses (shop similar).
July 24, 1983
Princess Diana attended a polo match in Windsor. She was seen wearing a polka dot dress (shop similar), a coin necklace, and two watches. She was known for wearing two watches during matches to bring Prince Charles luck.
March 1983
During an official tour to Australia, Princess Diana wore a pink polka dot dress by Donald Campbell (shop similar) and a matching hat by John Boyd.
April 1983
Princess Diana wore a green spotted dress and a Patek Philippe watch for a visit to Auckland, New Zealand.
May 6, 1981
The royal couple were photographed together at the Balmoral Estate in Scotland. Lady Di wore a colorful alpaca sweater, corduroy trousers, and Hunter rain boots.
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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.
Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.
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