Fans of Princess Diana may get a chance to own a piece of her legacy when some of her personal correspondence is put up for auction later this month. The letters are likely going to be full of interesting tidbits, given that a lot of them were written during Diana's contentious divorce from then-Prince Charles, making them a hot — yet controversial — buy.
The letters are being sold by the Kassem family.
Susie and Tarek Kassem have offered up the letters to Lay's Auctioneers, according to People. On February 16, Lay's is planning to list 32 pieces of correspondence, which it describes as "highly personal letters and cards."
Interested parties will have a chance to bid on each piece separately, hopefully preventing one buyer from swooping in and snapping up the entire lot.
Lay's has offered a peek at one of the letters up for sale.
The letters were written over a period of time, but the auction house shared a snippet of one that was dated February 17, 1996. Diana wrote on her Kensington Palace stationery and included her royal cypher.
"Darling, Susie," she wrote. "Thank you for all the lovely things you said to me on the telephone tonight. You have no idea the joy and trust you and Tarek have introduced into my life, and I count myself extremely fortunate to both Tarek and you for believing in me …"
"Love, Diana," she signed off, including an "X" for a kiss.
The Kassems were close to the princess before her death in 1997.
"Susie and Tarek Kassem, as very close friends of Diana, Princess of Wales, have treasured these letters for over 25 years," Lay's noted in a statement about the auction.
"They reflect the special and loving relationship they had with the most unique women they had ever known. Now, in 2023, the ownership of these poignant documents is a responsibility that the Kassems do not wish to pass on to their children or grandchildren," the statement continued. "They have decided to sell the letters and use proceeds of the sale to support some of the charities that were close to Susie and Diana's hearts."
The Kassems also want to give people a chance to know the true Diana.
Diana's humanitarian spirit was well known, but her friends want to make sure people also get an opportunity to see another side of her, especially given the drama that surrounded her final years of life.
"The Kassems have kept some of their more personal and confidential letters, but largely this collection of over 30 letters and notecards illustrate Diana's immensely warm and loving disposition in a charming and delightful manner," Lay's statement continued. "Some letters do touch on the enormous stress she was experiencing during periods of very public heartbreak, yet her strength of character and her generous and witty disposition shine through."
We have to admit that the timing of this sale might not be ideal for the new king.
With King Charles set to celebrate his coronation this year, we imagine the last thing he wants is another reminder of how his infidelity prompted his divorce from one of the most beloved royals in history — especially as the UK has finally been convinced to accept Camilla, the woman he cheated on Diana with, as queen consort.
We guess we'll just have to wait and see exactly how intimate and revealing these letters turn out to be once they hit the auction block later this month.
