Princess Diana and Prince Charles surprised the world and the royal family as well when they split in 1992. In what everyone thought to be a fairytale love story, their marriage ended with a divorce. With the hardships the former couple went through, the often stern Prince Philip tried to console his son and even likened him to a saint for putting up with his ex-wife.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles got married in 1981. Their relationship started to go downward spiral after the birth of Prince William and Prince Harry. At the time, the Prince of Wales was already meeting his former flame, Camilla Parker-Bowles.
They decided to split in 1992. The two promised not to opt for divorce, but they continued to jibe at one another. Queen Elizabeth II saw their strained relationship was damaging the monarchy's reputation, so she advised them to divorce in 1996 after their feud got publicized.
In Angela Levin's 2018 biography, Harry: Conversations with the Prince, she revealed that Prince Philip tried to console his son by writing him a letter. According to Express, Prince Charles was said to be consumed with guilt after what he made Princess Diana feel. He didn't only let down the Queen at the time but also the Queen Mother, his father, sons, and the British people.
Thankfully, he found a "rare moment of solace" in a letter he got from his often critical father. Prince Philip wrote that his son seemed to display the "fortitude of a saint" by putting up with Princess Diana.
The Duke of Edinburgh also wrote a letter for Princess Diana after their separation. He showed his sympathy to the Princess of Wales, saying they never dreamed that Prince Philip would leave her for Camilla Parker-Bowles. "I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind leaving you for Camilla. Such a prospect never even entered our heads," he said. He even ended the letter "with fondest love, Pa."
Prince Philip also showed his love for both Princess Diana and Prince Charles when he said he would always be in his "utmost" to help them to his best of ability. However, he was quite convinced that he had no talent to be a marriage counselor.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana's separation was heavily regarded as the heir to the throne's greatest mistake of his life. He even admitted that he cheated on the People's Princess in a 1994 interview with Jonathan Dimbleby.
At the time, his public admission angered a lot of his family members. Royal author Penny Junor revealed that Prince Philip was incensed, while the rest of the royals were surprised. Queen Elizabeth's advisers and courtiers were stunned, while his friends were appalled.
