Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales filed for divorce in 1996 after being legally separated for four years.
Prime Minister John Major made the following declaration on December 9, 1992: “There has been a sad announcement from Buckingham Palace:
the Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales have decided to divorce. There are no intentions for a divorce between the Royal Highnesses, and their respective constitutional roles will remain unchanged.”
Donald Trump Attempted to Date Princess Diana Following Her #Divorce #PalmBeach #FamilyLaw #LawFirm https://t.co/PG3iL1DESr pic.twitter.com/DOnGECAEea
— jordan gerber, esq. (@SoFloDivorceLaw) November 15, 2022
Princess Diana, supposedly, did not desire a divorce, which is why the term “no plans to divorce” is so important here. After the couple’s marriage had already begun to deteriorate, Prince Charles gave an interview with Jonathan Dimbleby in which he revealed he had been unfaithful to Diana.
Diana, Princess of Wales, similarly revealed her infidelity in an explosive interview, as well as her battles with postpartum depression, self-harm, and bulimia.
Diana famously commented on her marriage to Charles in a 1995 Panorama interview, “there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” about Camilla Parker Bowles.
Martin Bashir brings up the subject of divorce and asks, “Would it be your wish to divorce?” To which Diana replies, “No, that’s not my wish.”
Even still, by February 1996, Diana had accepted the idea of a divorce. Divorce was “an incredibly difficult decision and one which the Princess of Wales has taken with enormous sadness and regret,” Anthony Julius, Diana’s attorney, said in an interview with BBC News after the announcement.
When did that occur, exactly?
Queen Elizabeth II pushed for a split between her son and Diana in late 1995. “The Queen, after giving the situation some thought, wrote to the Prince and Princess earlier this week to express her and the Duke of Edinburgh’s shared opinion that a divorce should be finalized as soon as possible.
Since receiving the letter, the Princess of Wales has learned that her husband, the Prince of Wales, shares this opinion “On December 21, 1995, Buckingham Palace issued a statement confirming the rumors.
To quote the royal couple: “The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will continue to do all they can to help and support the Prince and Princess of Wales, and most importantly their children, at this difficult period.”
Diana officially consented to the divorce on February 29, 1996. A spokesperson for Diana remarked, “The Princess of Wales will maintain the title and be known as Diana, Princess of Wales.”
Diana was allowed to keep her Kensington Palace apartments in exchange for joint custody of Prince William and Prince Harry following their divorce.
As of August 28, 1996, Prince Charles and Princess Diana were officially no longer a married couple.