Princess Diana's personal letters sold to royal fans in lucrative auction

A collection of Princess Diana’s personal letters has been sold in an auction, giving the public an authentic glimpse into the late royal’s private thoughts. 

• Princess Diana's private letters have been sold at an auction in Cornwall. 
• The collection of 36 letters, which were addressed to the late royal's friend Roger Bramble, were bought as individual pieces at various prices. 
• In other royal news, the Royal Family considers appointing 'diversity chief' following racism allegations.
  

Princess Diana's 'witty and intelligent private letters' are now in the hands of the public, after selling for a high price at an auction in Cornwall, England last week. 

The 36 handwritten notes, most of which were composed between 1990 and 1997 and addressed to Diana’s close friend Roger Bramble, were unearthed from a ‘cupboard in a country farmhouse’ after spending 23 years in hiding. They were redistributed to royal fans for a total of £82,000 during a three-day auction starting last Wednesday, with many of the letters going to an individual collector of Lady Diana memorabilia. 

Roger, a long-time friend of Diana, gave the letters to a younger relative after the princess's tragic death in 1997. This unnamed family member then passed them onto David Lay Auctioneers, to be sold to the public. In a statement, the Bramble family explained their decision to share her private notes. 

“We believe these letters reveal the writer to be an affectionate, cultivated and delightful human being and that their wider publication could only do credit to their author,” they said. 

The documents offer a raw insight into the mind of one of the world’s iconic royals during an incredibly challenging time. 

In one letter dated August 1996, she thanks Roger for taking her out to lunch and providing a ‘much-needed distraction’ from her divorce proceedings with Prince Charles. The never-before-seen note, which hints at Diana’s pain at her highly publicized separation, was bought for an incredible £7,800. In another letter dated June 12 1992, she reflects on her ‘ghastly week.’ The timing of this note, which sold for £1,350, coincides with the serialization of Andrew Morton’s biography, Diana: Her True Story, which featured claims that the late royal had attempted suicide. 

The collection also revealed Diana’s recognition of the Queen’s powerful position. In a letter to Roger from October 1995, she playfully refers to Her Majesty as the ‘boss’ while expressing concerns that she made him late to a royal appointment. 

“I just hope your arrival at Westminster Abbey was before the Boss (The Queen) and if not, I expect to have been mentioned in the excuses!” she wrote. This light-hearted note sold for a whopping £7,200. 

The auction’s proceeds will be donated to various organizations which were supported by Diana and Roger, including the English National Ballet and the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra.