On August 28, 1996, Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales finalized their divorce after nearly four years of separation. The marriage that began as a fairytale wedding was marred by controversies, infidelity, and invasions of privacy from the British press. Queen Elizabeth II instructed the couple to pursue divorce, leading to Diana being awarded a lump sum payment and annual maintenance for a private office. They agreed to share custody of their sons, William and Harry. Diana was stripped of the title “Her Royal Highness” and became known as “Diana, Princess of Wales,” while the title of “Princess of Wales” passed to her daughter-in-law, Catherine Middleton.
In late 1995, Queen Elizabeth II supported the divorce after many years of formal separation. The decision was announced by a palace spokesperson, who stated the queen’s view that an early divorce was desirable. The Prince of Wales also agreed with this view and had communicated this to the Princess of Wales. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip pledged to support both Charles and Diana and their children during this challenging period. The divorce followed confirmed infidelity by both parties. Charles admitted to being unfaithful during their marriage in a 1994 ITV documentary.
The separation of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was initially announced on December 9, 1992, by then-Prime Minister John Major. Despite the separation, there were initially no plans for divorce and their constitutional positions remained unaffected. However, the situation changed after Charles admitted to infidelity in a 1994 documentary. Diana famously donned the “revenge dress” designed by Christina Stambolian following his confession. The Queen and Prince Philip expressed sympathy for the difficulties that led to the separation and hoped for an end to intrusions into the couple’s privacy.
Diana’s life post-divorce was tragically cut short almost a year after the divorce was finalized. On August 31, 1997, Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, and their driver Henri Paul were killed in a car crash in Paris. An inquest determined that Paul was intoxicated and speeding at the time of the crash. Following these events, Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005. After Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Charles ascended to the throne as King Charles III. Despite the challenges faced by Prince Charles and Princess Diana throughout their marriage and divorce, both continued to fulfill their public duties while navigating personal struggles.
