Princess Diana was beloved by all, not only for her involvement in charities and other philanthropic endeavors, but also because she was a fashion icon and approached matters in an untraditional manner. While the late-Princess of Wales was born into nobility, her courtship and subsequent marriage to Prince Charles immediately made her a public figure, putting her under the intense scrutiny of the British media and tabloids.
And what started out as a storybook marriage within the royal family, quickly turned into a nightmare, as Princess Diana was left to cope with Prince Charles’ alleged extramarital affairs. The fiasco would create problems for the couple, but they weren’t the only ones feeling the effects.
With the Princess of Wales finding out that there were some improprieties by Prince Charles in 1992, the couple separated, although the couple was not divorced. Diana continued to work through her patronages and charities as she assisted the royal family with the duties in the Commonwealth.
However, by 1996, Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced, culminating in the final chapter between the couple. During their separation period, though, it was ‘Hell on Earth’ for the employees that worked for each of the estranged duo. Recently, the former equerry of the queen’s mother explained how difficult it was at the time of the couple’s separation for the employees that were charged with working for them.
https://twitter.com/AstroAlexander2/status/1231570643491205121
The queen’s mother’s former equerry, Major Colin Burgess, recently spoke to the Daily Mail about the conditions that were present for people working in the households during Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s separation, something he described as very hostile and exceedingly tense.
“I would never have worked for Charles at that time, not even for double the money I was on at Clarence House,” Burgess explained. “His separation from Princess Diana polarized their staff, who had no choice but to take sides, and if you walked into any of his offices you could easily witness something being thrown at someone in anger.”
According to News Break. It was #PrincePhillip ordered MI5 Agent to Kill #PrincessDiana and make it look like an accident because The people’s Princess knew too much about the Royal family and was going to the public about it. #TheRoyalFamily. pic.twitter.com/gruXIuTeD6
— Andressa (@andressamlimax) February 20, 2020
Equally, Burgess shared that working for Princess Diana was a nightmare, not simply because of the situation between Prince Charles and her, but as a result of her impulsive nature to go off without protection or security.
“Equally, being Princess Diana’s equerry would have been the job from hell because she was then on the verge of a complete breakdown,” the former equerry revealed. “She regularly went off into London alone, without any bodyguards, sparking mass panic among those back at [the Palace] who would launch a hunt to find her.”
Throwback Thursday – Charles and Diana looking very formal early in their marriage. Still looking happy. #princessdianabooks #princessdiana #princess #love #athomewithdiana #tbt https://t.co/ow2ODQCGRK
— Deb Stratas (@deb_stratas) February 20, 2020
While tensions were undoubtedly high during the separation process between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the couple ultimately proceeded into the divorce process at the request of Queen Elizabeth II. And according to Royalty Magazine editor Ingrid Seward, the divorce ended the tumultuous working environment for people who were employed by the households.
The amicable ending wouldn’t last long, though, as only a year later, the Princess of Wales was tragically killed in a car accident fleeing the paparazzi in France. It was something that Prince Charles would go on to regret, mainly stemming from his infidelity. “Had he loved Diana instead of his mistress, people argued in their anger, Diana would still be alive,” author Penny Juror wrote in a book about the ordeal between Charles and Diana.
