Princess Diana’s ‘trepidation’ at newly single life and ‘hope’ for the future before divorce is revealed in letter she wrote to resign from charity role

• The revealing letter is to be auctioned next month in Beverly Hills, California 
• READ MORE: Prince Charles and Princess Diana: A relationship timeline from their first meeting to their bitter divorce

A newly uncovered letter has revealed Princess Diana’s ‘trepidation’ concerning her new single life ahead of divorcing King Charles.

The revealing letter, written to the chairman of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for The Blind, is set to be auctioned next month by Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies in Beverly Hills, California. 

Diana cited ‘personal circumstances in particular my marriage to The Prince of Wales’ as her reason for resigning from her role in the charity, where she was patron, according to The Telegraph.

The mother-of-two explained that she could not offer the level of ‘commitment’ required by the role as she must ‘re-organise’ her life.

She added that while she remained hopeful, there was still a ‘number of matters’ that she needed to resolve. 

A newly uncovered letter discussing Diana’s ‘trepidation’ on her life after divorce is set to go up for auction in Beverly Hill. Pictured, the princess in April 1997

In the letter, Diana explained that it was ‘with great sadness’ that she write to resign from her position as patron of the charity.

She explained: ‘As you know, my personal circumstances, in particular my marriage to The Prince of Wales, have been the subject of detailed conjecture in recent months, and this will soon be formalised in the normal legal manner.

‘Although I am embarking upon the future with hope, I also do so with some trepidation since there are a number of matters which I shall need to resolve.’

Diana continued: ‘As I seek to re-organise my life it will not be possible for me to provide you with the right level of commitment and I feel that there may be someone else better suited to support you in all that you do.’

The letter was dated 15 July 1996, the month before Charles and Diana formally split on 28 August 1996.

Julien’s auction house, where the previously unpublished letter is set to auction, focuses on high profile auctions across film, music, art, and the sports sphere. 

Over the years, a selection of the Princess’s items has come up for auction, with keen royal collectors battling it out.

Diana’s iconic revenge dress is perhaps the most famous of the auctions. 

The mother-of-two (pictured in 1994) explained in the letter of resignation that she could not offer the level of ‘commitment’ required by the role as she must ‘re-organise’ her life

Princess Diana donned the iconic black mini piece for a gala at the Serpentine Gallery on the same night in 1994 when Prince Charles confessed on national television that he had been unfaithful to her.

Although the revealing number was unusual for a royal, she greeted people with poise and confidence.

Designed by Greek designer Christina Stambolian, the fitted off-the-shoulder dress featured an asymmetrical hemline and chiffon train that flowed in the wind.

It had been leaked that Diana was going to wear Valentino to the event, so instead she wore the daring gown which had previously been sat in her closet for three years.

Its designer remembered Diana asking for a ‘special dress for a special occasion’ in her store back in 1991, according to Claudia Joseph’s book, Diana: A Life in Dresses.

The iconic ‘Revenge Dress’ that Princess Diana wore to the Serpentine Gallery in 1994 was actually created in September 1991 by Christina Stambolian

After a few sketches, they decided on the legendary short hem. It took two dressmakers more than 60 hours to create the dress. 

In the summer of 1997, not long before her death, Diana put 79 of her dresses up for auction at Christie’s in New York. 

The proceeds were shared between multiple organisations, including cancer and AIDS-related charities.

The Revenge Dress, which had originally cost the Princess £900, was sold at auction in July 1997 for a staggering £39,098 – more than £85,000 in today’s prices.

Diana’s dress was bought by Graeme and Briege Mackenzie, a Scottish couple who at the time revealed they would use it to continue to raise money for charities.

To mark the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death in 2017, the Revenge Dress was displayed at the Museum of Style in Newbridge, Ireland, in their exhibition ‘Diana: A Fashion Legacy’.

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