A moving letter from King Charles speaking of the “unbearable emptiness” of grief four months after Princess Diana’s death has emerged, 27 years on.
Charles tells the recipient, known only as Peter, that his heart “bleeds” for him following the passing of his “dear Liz” from illness.
He adds that he can imagine the “agony” she was going through and “longed to wave a magic wand to transform the situation.”
Charles then laments the “bewilderment and confusion that accompanies the removal of someone so young from the world.”
He elaborates on his Christian faith and beliefs about what happens when someone dies, quoting a passage from the Bible that says, “for now we see through a mirror, darkly, but then face to face.”
A moving letter from King Charles in which he speaks of the “unbearable emptiness” of grief four months after Princess Diana’s death has emerged, 27 years on
He writes: ‘I’ve been thinking about you a lot yesterday and today, knowing how deeply you will be affected by yesterday’s tragic news about dear Liz.
‘My heart bleeds for you because I can only imagine the utter agony and despair you must have gone through during all these heartbreaking months when you learned about Liz’s illness.
‘All of us who know them – and love them so much – have felt the agony in a much lesser way, of course, but we have longed to wave a magic wand to transform the situation.
‘I often think that’s the worst part of it all: not being able to help in any constructive way except saying constant prayers in the background and trying to surround you both with love, affection and concern.
‘I can well imagine the unbearable emptiness you must feel right now; the sense of bewilderment and confusion that accompanies the transfer of someone so young from this world.
‘Personally, I believe that there is another dimension beyond this physical dimension and that we will be surprised to discover it for ourselves when we are finally – or at some point – asked to make that particular journey for ourselves.
‘As the Bible says: ‘For now we see in a mirror, darkly, but then face to face.’
“I can’t express how happy and glad I am to have met Liz. She helped me so much in my life.
Charles (left) and Princess Diana (right), photographed at their home in Kensington Palace in 1985
Charles tells the recipient, known only as Peter, that his heart “bleeds” for him following the passing of his “dear Liz” from illness.
He adds that he can imagine the “agony” she was going through and “longed to wave a magic wand to transform the situation.”
Charles then laments the “bewilderment and confusion that accompanies the removal of someone so young from the world.”
He elaborates on his Christian faith and beliefs about what happens when someone dies, quoting a passage from the Bible that says, “for now we see through a mirror, darkly, but then face to face.”
A spokesman for RR said: ‘This long handwritten letter to ‘Peter’ expresses condolences on the death of a loved one.’
‘We will all have very special memories of her, but most of all, Peter, you are remembered and very much in my thoughts and prayers at this very distressing time.
‘I thought I might find some small modicum of comfort in this brief fragment of profoundly wise verse from William Blake, and herewith I enclose a few ‘things from Highgrove’ as a token of immense and affectionate sympathy.’
It is unclear who the Peter is that Charles is addressing, nor the identity of “dear Liz.”
The three-page handwritten letter on Highgrove House letterhead, dated December 8, 1997, and signed ‘Charles’, has gone on sale for £1,500 ($2,000) at RR Auctions in Boston, US.
It comes with its original envelope which had Charles’ instructions for it to be delivered “by hand.”
An RR spokesman said: ‘This lengthy handwritten letter to ‘Peter’ expresses condolences on the death of a loved one.
‘Charles was likely particularly emotional at the time he wrote the letter, as Princess Diana had tragically passed away just a few months earlier in August 1997.’
Diana died in a car accident in Paris at the age of 36 on 31 August 1997.
Timed sale ends August 14th.