A letter from the young Princess Diana has been put up for auction
A personal letter written by Princess Diana when she was 17—before she met Prince Charles—is set to go up for auction in the UK. In it, the future Princess of Wales writes about her father’s illness, her family’s support, and her biggest dream: to become a dancer, according to The Independent.
On May 24 in London, Chiswick Auctions will sell a rare letter from Princess Diana, written in 1979 when she was just 17 years old. It is one of the few personal letters from the future Princess of Wales that has survived from the time before she met Prince Charles.
The document has already attracted the attention of collectors and fans of the royal family, as in it Diana writes very sincerely about her family, her concerns for her father, and her own dreams for the future.
The letter is dated February 1, 1979. Diana wrote it to her friend Mildred Lacey after she wished her father—John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer—a speedy recovery. At the time, he had suffered a stroke and was undergoing prolonged treatment. “Thank you so much for your letter to Dad. Since he can’t do it himself, he asked me to write to you and convey how grateful he is,” Diana wrote.
In the letter, she also mentioned that the entire family had received tremendous support from friends and acquaintances during the difficult period following her father’s illness. “We have all been very lucky, and everyone has been incredibly helpful, for which we are infinitely grateful. He will be coming home soon, and it will be incredible after all these months,” the letter reads.
Diana also mentioned her younger brother, Charles Spencer, who was 14 at the time. According to her, he was growing up fast and was doing wonderfully at boarding school.
But the last part of the letter drew the most attention, where the future Princess of Wales writes about her passion for dancing. It is there that she first openly speaks about the dream she wanted to fulfill. “I’m going to look for a place where I can dance. I’ve always wanted this and hope to achieve something one day,” Diana wrote.
Although she never became a professional dancer, her love for dance stayed with her her whole life. One of the most famous moments was her dance with John Travolta at the White House in 1985. These images later spread around the world and became one of the symbols of Princess Diana’s era.
In the 1980s, Diana worked with her personal dance instructor, Ann Allan—a former ballerina from Glasgow. In one interview, she recalled that dancing was not just a hobby for the princess, but a way to feel free and remain true to herself. “Working with the princess, I was fortunate to see not only Diana’s deep love for dance, but also a much more personal side of her character,” Allan said.
A private collector has put the letter up for sale along with other items related to the royal family and the 1981 wedding of Princess Diana and King Charles III. Auction organizers expect the document to sell for approximately 4,000 pounds. At the same time, experts note that the final amount could be significantly higher, as interest in Princess Diana’s personal belongings has not waned even decades after her death.
Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, but she remains one of the most famous and beloved figures of the British royal family.
Britain turned back a German MEP at the border.
Already 41 Labour Party MPs have publicly called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down as party leader.
Earlier, Starmer spoke of growing tensions in relations with the U.S.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during which they discussed increasing pressure on the aggressor. The leaders paid special attention to the fight against the Russian shadow fleet and London’s contributions to the PURL program to strengthen the Ukrainian army.
