I’ve read Prince Charles’ reaction to the death of Princess Diana was abject horror. He couldn’t believe the life of his 36 year old ex-wife with whom he’d had two children was gone. The news jarred him fully, and he was wakened by Queen Elizabeth’s private secretary at 4:30 a.m., who said Charles was ‘absolutely distraught.’’
Prince (now King) Charles collapsed and cried uncontrollably to the shock of royal aides. Charles and Diana had finally found friendship between them, and they relished co-parenting their sons. Suddenly, Charles was Prince William and Harry’s only parent left. He told them early that morning about the car crash, and stayed with them until Charles had to head to Paris to collect Diana.
Harry gave this account of what happened on the morning of 31 August, 1997…
“One of the hardest things for a parent to have to do is to tell your children that your other parent has died. How do you deal with that? I don’t know. But you know, he was there for us (King Charles). He was the one out of the two left, and he tried to do his best and to make sure that we were protected and looked after. But you know, he was going though the same grieving process as well.” -from Diana, 7 Days
King Charles flew to Paris to take the body of Diana back to London for her funeral, and he was accompanied by Diana’s two sisters. Charles went to look at Diana while she was in the hospital around 5:40 p.m. that evening, and he saw a fan in the room stirring Diana’s hair so lightly that it appeared she was alive. That shook him up terribly.
She wasn’t alive, of course, and Charles looked tired beyond his years while he was in Paris that day. Harry was right. Charles was in shock and grieving, and the photo shows how bereft he felt. Through the week that led up to the princess’ funeral Charles looked like he had been crying, and he appeared to be very concerned for William and Harry.
I don’t think King Charles ever expected anything bad to happen to his first wife. She was so young and vibrant, and she had so many years ahead of her to find love again and to raise her sons. He found it just as impossible as the rest of the world did, and friends of Charles said he slipped into a depression afterwards. Camilla came around to make him laugh and pull him out of his melancholy.
To this day, the family of Princess Diana must remember how it felt to get through those first moments of disbelief, and they wonder how they ever managed to navigate that terrible week leading up to Diana’s funeral.