Newly Unveiled Note Highlights Early Struggles After Marriage to Prince Charles
Just two days after her lavish wedding to Prince Charles, Princess Diana confessed to feeling “terribly lonely” in Buckingham Palace, according to a newly revealed handwritten letter set to go to auction.
Dated July 31, 1981, the note was addressed to palace footman Mark Simpson, who became a rare source of comfort to the young princess during her early days in royal life. The letter is one of more than 300 items featured in Princess Diana’s Style & A Royal Collection, an upcoming auction by Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills.
“My stay was made so much easier by your company as it was so terribly lonely,” Diana wrote. “We had so many laughs—for that I can’t thank you enough.” She closed the message warmly, referencing shared inside jokes and their breakfast routine: “A large thank you for being you — Much love, Diana.”
Julien’s co-founder Martin Nolan described the note as one of the collection’s most meaningful, explaining that Diana had been navigating the overwhelming transition from private life to royalty. “She had to learn everything from curtsying to protocol from the Queen and the Queen Mother,” Nolan shared.
While her introduction to royal duties offered little joy, her brief but cherished friendship with Simpson helped brighten those isolating first days behind palace walls.
