King Charles’ Letter Describes ‘Unbearable Emptiness’ After Diana’s Death

It’s been 27 years since Princess Diana passed away, but a newly revealed letter from King Charles III, written just four months after her death, brings back the raw emotions many felt that day.

In the 1997 letter, the King shared profound grief and an “unbearable emptiness” following Diana’s death. Charles expressed deep sympathy to his friend, Peter, who had recently lost someone named Liz to illness. His words showed a heart bleeding for his friend’s loss. He empathized deeply with Peter’s “agony,” wishing he could wave a magic wand to change the situation and alleviate the “bewilderment and confusion” that comes with the loss of such a young person.

Drawing strength from his Christian faith, the King quoted from the Bible, specifically 1 Corinthians 13:12, which says, “Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.” This biblical line added a layer of spiritual depth to his heartfelt letter.

The true identities of Peter and Liz remain unclear to royal experts, according to the Daily Mail.

The three-page note, written on Highgrove House letterhead and dated December 8, 1997, was signed simply “Charles.” It was delivered by hand to the recipient as per the then-Prince’s instructions.

This emotional letter has recently surfaced at RR Auction in Boston, with a starting bid of $2,000 (£1,500). Bidding will end on August 14.

An RR Auction spokesperson told the Daily Mail, “Charles was likely particularly emotional at the time he wrote the letter, as Princess Diana had tragically passed away just a few months before in August 1997.”

Princess Diana died in a tragic traffic accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. She was just 36 years old.

The full content of the letter is deeply moving:

“I have been thinking so much of you yesterday and today, knowing how deeply you will be affected by yesterday’s tragic news about dear Liz.”

“My heart bleeds for you as I can imagine so well the utter agony and despair you must have gone through during all these heart-rendering months that you have known about Liz’s illness.”

“All of us who know you and are so fond of you both have felt the agony in a far lesser way, of course, but have longed to wave a magic wand to transform the situation.”

“I often think that that is the worst part of all — being unable to help in any constructive way except to say constant prayers in the background and to try to surround you both with love and affection and concern.”

“I can so well imagine the unbearable emptiness you must feel at this time; the sense of bewilderment and confusion that accompanies the removal of someone still so young from this world.”

“Personally, I believe that there is another dimension beyond this physical one and that we will be amazed to discover it for ourselves when we are eventually or at a moment called upon to make that certain journey for ourselves.”

“As it says in the Bible — ‘Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face’.”

“I can’t tell you how pleased and happy I am to have known Liz. She was such a great life-enhancer.”

“We shall all have such special memories of her but, above all, Peter, we mind about you and you are so very much in my thoughts and prayers at this most anguishing of times.”

“I thought you might just find a very small speck of comfort from this short piece of profoundly wise verse by William Blake and, together with this, I enclose a few ‘Highgrove things’ as a token of immense, affectionate sympathy.”

Despite Charles’ well-known affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles during his marriage to Princess Diana, which was highly publicized, he did not marry Camilla until 2005, long after Diana’s death.

The letter, now up for auction, offers a rare glimpse into King Charles III’s emotional state during one of the most difficult periods of his life. It also sheds light on his capacity for empathy and his reliance on faith amidst personal turmoil.

Source: Daily Mail