Camilla Parker-Bowles and Princess Diana's relationship was actually good before the latter had her whirlwind romance with Prince Charles. The Princess of Wales was 14 years younger than Camilla, who became a reassuring presence in Diana's life when the public took interest in her.
According to royal biographer Penny Junor, Princess Diana was a frequent visitor at Bolehyde Manor, the home Camilla shared with her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. She helped out Camilla with her children, Tom and Laura.
This happened around the same time as when Diana started dating Prince Charles. She was aware Camilla was the Prince of Wales' former girlfriend and somewhat saw her older sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, in her as well. Incidentally, Prince Charles and Lady Sarah briefly dated in their younger years.
Junor went on to detail in the book The Duchess: Camilla Parker-Bowles and the Love Affair that Rocked the Crown that Camilla became a support system for Princess Diana when she made her first public appearance at the Ludlow Races. This was Charles and Diana's debut as a couple she leaned on Camilla when the photographers started following her.
Camilla remained her friend even after her engagement to Prince Charles. Royal biographer Andrew Morton revealed in the book Diana: Her True Story that Princess Diana and Camilla even met to chat and gossip over lunches.
But, Princess Diana started feeling that something was not right after she learned her husband-to-be gifted Camilla a bracelet with a special engraving right before their July 1981 grand royal wedding. Diana also saw a photo of Camilla from Charles' diary while they were aboard the royal yacht, Britannia.
Camilla, on the other hand, slowly faded out in the early years of Princess Diana and Prince Charles' marriage. According to reports, she deliberately skipped social events whenever she learned that the former couple would be there.
Princess Diana's suspicion about the affair lingered years after she gave birth to Prince William and Harry. By then, her friendship with Camilla was almost non-existent.
In 1989, Diana confronted Camilla about her relationship with Prince Charles. A friend said that she was "terrified" to talk to Camilla but she also wanted to know what was really going on.
Camilla didn't immediately admit to the affair but, amid speculations and scrutiny, Prince Charles said he has been seeing someone outside of his marriage to the princess in a televised interview in 1994. The pair was living separate lives by then and proceeded to divorce in 1996.
Princess Diana and Camilla's friendship never mended even as the former couple mellowed towards each other following their divorce. According to Pop Sugar, it still stung for Diana when Charles threw a 50th birthday bash for Camilla at Highgrove in 1997. A month later, Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris, France, at 36 years old.
