Princess Diana’s romantic life was a tumultuous journey, filled with passionate loves, heart-wrenching betrayals, and a constant search for the affection and validation she longed for. From her fairytale marriage to Prince Charles to her later relationships with men who adored her, Diana’s story is one of both vulnerability and strength.
Her life, marked by public scrutiny, personal loss, and moments of profound connection, ultimately led her to understand that the most significant love story was the one she built with herself.
When Diana first walked down the aisle at St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1981, she believed she had found her happily-ever-after with Prince Charles. At just 20 years old, she was convinced that her fairy tale had come true.
“I just absolutely thought I was the luckiest girl in the world,” she later recalled. However, despite her deep love for Charles, their marriage was not the idealized storybook romance she had envisioned.
From the outset, Diana was aware of her husband's ongoing affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, yet she tried to embody the image of the perfect wife, often at the expense of her own happiness and mental well-being. The marriage, while initially based on love, quickly deteriorated as Charles and Diana grew apart, with Diana left to grapple with the heartbreak of infidelity and a growing sense of abandonment.
Throughout her life, Diana sought out connections and romances, often looking for affirmation and the love that she felt was lacking. Her relationships became a way for her to fill the void left by her troubled marriage.
Friends and acquaintances often spoke of her deep need for love and approval, with one friend noting that "Diana needed more love than any Englishman can give." Her love affairs, many of them with men who admired her beauty and charm, became a series of passionate yet short-lived entanglements, each one an attempt to heal the wounds left by her past.
One of Diana's first alleged affairs was with her bodyguard, Barry Mannakee, in the mid-1980s. Mannakee, a strong and caring figure in her life, became someone Diana could confide in.
He provided her with the attention and affection she so desperately sought. But their romance was doomed from the start, with Mannakee quickly transferred out of his post when palace officials became aware of the relationship.
His sudden death in a motorcycle crash left Diana devastated, and she later admitted to feeling an overwhelming sense of loss that she wasn’t supposed to experience. “I wasn’t supposed to mind as much as I did,” she said.
Diana's next high-profile romance was with army captain James Hewitt, a dashing and charismatic man who would go on to become another of Diana's emotional anchors. Their affair, which began in 1986, was marked by intense passion and deep emotional connection.
Diana, feeling abandoned by Charles and seeking solace in Hewitt’s embrace, quickly fell in love with him. But their relationship was marred by secrecy and betrayal, with Hewitt later sharing details of their affair with the public.
Diana, who had once envisioned a future with Hewitt, was left heartbroken and humiliated by his actions.
As Diana's marriage to Charles continued to unravel, she sought comfort in various other relationships, including a rumored affair with the wealthy playboy James Gilbey. Their relationship, which included the infamous “Squidgygate” phone call, represented another attempt by Diana to gain affection and reassurance.
However, Diana’s need for constant validation made her susceptible to relationships that, though momentarily fulfilling, ultimately left her emotionally drained.
One of the most intense and deeply felt relationships in Diana’s life was with art dealer Oliver Hoare. The affair, which began in the early 1990s, was filled with drama and secrecy, with Diana becoming obsessed with Hoare, going to great lengths to meet him and hide their relationship from the public eye.
However, the affair eventually soured, with Hoare reconciling with his wife and Diana devastated by his abandonment. The emotional fallout from the relationship would be one of the most painful experiences in Diana’s life, but it also marked a turning point in her personal growth and understanding of herself.
Diana’s most significant and transformative romance came later, with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. The couple’s love story, while short-lived, brought Diana a sense of peace and stability that she had never known before.
Khan, who was unaffected by her fame, saw Diana for the person she truly was, not as the Princess of Wales, but as a woman with a deep, altruistic heart. In Khan, Diana found someone who made her feel loved and appreciated for her true self, not her public persona.
“He has given me all the things I need,” Diana said, referring to the emotional support and love she found with him. However, their relationship could not withstand the pressures of Diana’s celebrity, and they eventually parted ways.
Despite their separation, Khan remained a pivotal figure in Diana’s life, and she never truly stopped loving him.
In the final years of her life, Diana’s romantic journey took another unexpected turn with her brief relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed. While many considered their romance to be a “summer fling,” it brought Diana happiness in ways her previous relationships had not.
Al-Fayed, generous and doting, showered her with affection, and for a brief time, Diana felt cherished and adored. Tragically, their relationship was cut short when they both died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, leaving the world to wonder what might have been.
Looking back on her relationships, it’s clear that Diana’s search for love was not just about finding a partner, but about discovering her own worth. Throughout her tumultuous journey, Diana learned that the most important love story is the one you have with yourself. Her romantic struggles and heartbreaks ultimately led to a deeper understanding of who she was and what she truly needed.
In the end, Princess Diana’s greatest love was the one that allowed her to embrace her true self, flaws and all.
