When Princess Diana Told a Prominent Editor That Her Marriage With King Charles Was 'Hell From Day One'

The late Diana, Princess of Wales, initially approached Sir Max Hastings first with her side of the story about her troubled marriage to the then-Prince Charles, which eventually became the famous Panorama interview. Hastings made the revelation during a landmark broadcast commemorating the news program's 25th anniversary. At the time, Hastings was the editor of the Telegraph. As per The Daily Mail, a Channel 4 film, Diana: The Truth Behind The Interview, released in October 2020, explored the background of the princess's discussion with BBC broadcaster, Martin Bashir. In the film, Hastings disclosed that he decided to withhold the Princess of Wales' narrative because, at the time of her divorce from Prince Charles, she seemed naïve and vulnerable. Hastings further asserted that Diana told him their marriage "had been hell from day one" and that she 'hated' Charles. 

As per Tatler, Hastings also alleged that three months before the controversial Panorama presentation, he and Diana had a two-hour meeting. The princess, Hastings claimed, drove to meet him in Berkshire and was "a great deal excited for her side of this to surface." He argued that during their discussions, Diana also declared Charles as 'unfit to be king'. At the end of their meeting, Hastings expressed his gratitude to the Princess for coming to the country to speak with him, informing Diana that he was "terribly flattered."

Praising the Princess, the former editor opined, "She put on a wonderful show. Absolutely gripping stuff. It became clear how much she hated Charles. I said, 'Were there ever happy times?' She said, 'No, the marriage was hell from day one.' I was amazed by the frankness and the directness with which she said that." Diana was especially worried about Prince William, the heir apparent, according to Hastings. He claimed that she said, "I don't think Charles can do it," hence wishing for her husband to abdicate the throne and for her older son to succeed as King.

Hastings added that he tried to protect the late Princess of Wales from controversies. "I felt that my job was to try and help them keep the lid on the worst of this, rather than to lift it off." He shared, "Diana said a lot of stuff on several occasions which I thought were for the fairies. She asked me what I knew about a conspiracy to have her put down. I said well, it sounded crazy to me. But she did believe this sort of stuff." He continued to state that Diana was a "very streetwise, brilliant enchantress" but she was also 'not very bright'. "If you’ve got nobody sensible to advise you, or if you have [but] you won’t take their advice, you’re in a pretty bad place," he concluded.