A letter penned by Princess Diana during her 1981 honeymoon with then-Prince Charles provides an intimate look at her early days as a member of the British royal family, which she described as "playing with grown-ups." The letter is part of a collection of photographs and correspondence from her school days that her childhood friend, Katherine Hanbury, is now auctioning.
Hanbury, who attended West Heath Girls' School with the late Princess of Wales between 1973 and 1977, is partnering with U.K.-based auction house Gorringe’s for the sale, which begins July 7. The collection includes "The Honeymoon Letter," a three-page correspondence dated Sept. 27, 1981, written during Diana's honeymoon at Balmoral in Scotland.
In the letter, Diana expressed her initial happiness about her marriage. "Its [sic] wonderful being married – I think its [sic] safe to say that after two months…?" she wrote to Hanbury. She described the honeymoon as "blissful" with "endless sun and luckily calm seas." The couple then relocated to Scotland, which Diana noted was "a big treat" as she "adore[d] being outside all day & hate London!"
However, the letter also offered a candid observation about her adjustment to royal life. "Its [sic] a case of playing with grown-ups!" Diana wrote, hinting at the shift in her social environment and the perceived maturity expected of her. Hanbury interpreted this as Diana feeling the need to begin her adult life and start a family.
Hanbury recalled Diana as a hopeful young bride who believed she had found her "prince" and envisioned a fairy-tale future. "She wanted to build a family of her own," Hanbury told Fox News Digital. "She had all of those aspirations. She was such a lovely, caring girl. And that was definitely what she wanted more than anything else: to have a family of her own, to be loved and cared for, as we all do, really."
Diana and Charles married on July 29, 1981, just two months before the letter was written. Hanbury met Diana when she was 16, remembering her as "good fun" and "very ordinary," terms of endearment that reflected Diana's down-to-earth nature. Hanbury recollected Diana's enjoyment of simple, domestic activities, such as tidying rooms and organizing, as well as her athletic pursuits like swimming and tennis.
Their friendship continued after Diana left school. Hanbury learned of the engagement through the press, noting the surprise felt by both herself and others given Diana's age, just 20 at the time. "She was so young; she was only 20," Hanbury said. "She seemed barely out of school. It was portrayed as very romantic. She was definitely smitten with him. I'm sure when she was at school with us, she never thought that one day she would marry a prince. We were all surprised."
Hanbury has kept the letters and photos for approximately 45 years, deciding now is the opportune time to share them. "I'm not getting any younger, and I can't take them with me. I thought now is the time to give somebody else the opportunity to have the pleasure and the joy of looking at and reading them, as they gave to me," she explained.
The collection is estimated to fetch between $5,400 and $8,000. Hanbury hopes the items will offer the public a deeper understanding of Diana's genuine personality. "She was the real deal," Hanbury said. "She never tried to be anyone or anything other than her real self. I think that's something that's missing in a lot of the royal family today, probably. But that's who she was. She was Diana."
Charles and Diana's marriage, which produced two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, faced public scrutiny and ended in separation in 1992, with their divorce finalized in 1996. Princess Diana died on Aug. 31, 1997, following a car crash in Paris. She was 36.