From the beginning Diana and Charles' marriage was not blessed with good fortune. Already during the engagement period Diana had had the feeling that Camilla played too great a role in Charles' life. Diana opened a small parcel, addressed to Charles, and found a gold bracelet with a blue enamel pendant and the initials F & G. Didn't Charles and Camilla earlier call themselves Fred and Gladys as a disguise? Diana suffered terribly from jealousy. Diana made it unmistakably clear to Charles that he should not send this gift to Camilla, but he did it anyway. Diana pondered even before the wedding about not marrying Charles. Charles even took a photo of Camilla with him on honeymoon. How must Diana have felt there? Diana became sick with worry. She suffered her first case of bulimia.

During the pregnancy Diana had depressive phases: she stood under enormous pressure. She had so many roles to perfect as she wanted to do everything properly. The people loved her, but where was the recognition of love from Charles? The female psyche was an unknown giant for Charles. He couldn't come to terms with Diana's problems during the pregnancy. He demanded discipline! This simply served to aggravate the situation, and the agenda held a place for the daily squabbles. Through the children for a time they forgot their problems. Charles developed into a model father and relinquished a few official duties which also helped the marriage. They were both very proud of their sons and there were also some very happy moments in their marriage. Unfortunately, however, there were differences later in approaches to childrearing. Charles wanted to raise his children in a royal sense and Diana wanted a natural raising with much freedom for the children.

Another problem for the marriage was that Diana became ever more loved by the people. When the royal pair visited a function then the crowds cheered for her, no longer for Charles. The storm of flashbulbs was only for Diana, her beauty, her clothes, her smile. A completely unknown situation for the heir to the throne, he gradually began to feel uneasy. Diana enjoyed the attention which was given to her. Charles viewed the development with concern. He used every opportunity to criticize his wife. One can say that Diana lived in two worlds. The prince gave her the feeling that she was not satisfying her royal duties, that she was immature and moody. Also Charles and the palace criticized Diana's arrangement for the sick and poor, especially for AIDS victims. But the people celebrated her as a heroine, a goddess, as a model for youth and beauty. The prince became ever more jealous and this resulted in harming the marriage.

Charles distanced himself ever more from Diana. The pair never developed common interests. That was the main failure that Charles and Diana made! She could chat for hours with a friend about the latest fashion trends, about cinema films or TV stars. Themes that bored the heir to the throne, he found them banal. He was interested in literature, history, painting, architecture and philosophy. But Diana refused to read a single book on these subjects. Charles preferred walks in the countryside with a rustic picnic. There was simply no common topic for conversation, when one omits childrearing.

There was one woman who stimulated Charles' intellect. It was Camilla! He took up this relationship again during his marriage to Diana and that was the undoing of the couple and the whole family. Camilla was no beauty, no fashion model, was however a woman with wit and intellect. For Charles Camilla was a true friend. She listened to him when he had problems and he liked to follow her advice. The pair met secretly at Highgrove, Charles' country residence. This place proved to be completely practical, as Camilla lived nearby. Besides, Diana stayed here very seldom, she preferred to stay in London at the weekend. Charles never made a secret out of the fact that he was friendly with the Parker-Bowleses. Should Diana actually once meet Camilla at Highgrove, then this would have made a harmless impression. In any case, Charles' servants and friends had known exactly this for a long time: The heir to the throne betrays his wife, and, indeed, in the very bed which Diana had once chosen!

The prince fooled himself completely if he thought that Diana had not realized about the infidelity. At first it was only ideas, which however began to gain ever more shape. When there was a conflict between the married couple, Prince Charles drove to Highgrove. Often he first came back in the morning hours and then laid down for the rest of the night on a small bed in his dressing room. Where had he been? Diana surprised her husband at Highgrove, the sofa cushions were rumpled in front of the fireplace, and the servants stared at the floor with embarrassment. Who was still here then? A dreadful situation for Diana. She made scenes in front of him, raged, cried and screamed. It made no impression on him. The princess again began to raid fridges and larders through total frustration. 1985, at the time when Charles re-established his relationship with Camilla, Diana began to mutilate herself. With sleeping tablets, falling down the stairs and self-mutilation she wanted to send out signals, to make clear, that she needed help. But Charles and the royal family were not in the position to pick up on these signals. Diana, the celebrated goddess, the beauty from the fairytale book, was psychologically ill for more than half a decade!

It was 1987 when the state of Diana's nerves and soul were at their lowest point. Diana's heart was empty and lonely. Yet there was this yearning, her will and desire. A young woman at 26 cannot live without love, without tenderness. Everything began completely harmlessly. Diana sought a riding instructor for her sons William and Harry. James Hewitt, member of the bodyguard, offered his services. He was a charming young man and was sympathetic to Diana from the beginning. Diana was excited by his understanding nature and decided to also take a few riding lessons. James Hewitt burst from pride: he had never had such prominent pupils before. And he quickly noticed that Diana was, very sadly, psychologically pretty unstable. Stealing her heart was an easy game for him. The pair came closer. He offered himself as a trustworthy friend, always listened to her concerns and flattered her. Finally, Diana thought, a man on my side. His game was made easier by the fact that her two sons also liked the nice Uncle James very much. He soon realised that Diana was not the self-confident goddess that he knew from the press reports. She was shy, uncertain, injured and depressed. That was James Hewitt's great chance! Small reassurances, the first common secrets, a breathless farewell kiss - the fantasy began to work. James Hewitt managed to make Diana devoted to him. He formed the total opposite to Charles, always had time, listened to every word, took all her dreams seriously. He gave Diana the feeling of being desirable, interesting and exciting. Yes, James saw her as a woman, not as a princess. Diana never wanted to ever break her promise of loyalty made at the marriage altar. She was then so certain that she would love Charles for ever and ever. But the ice cold marriage opened doors for James Hewitt: Diana became unfaithful and had a sexual relationship with the riding instructor. 

In the meantime the marriage continued to go under. The pair had nothing more to say to one-another. They spent ever less time with each other. The press speculated meanwhile about the married life of the royal pair. The queen urged the pair to save the marriage, however all attempts to save it were unsuccessful.Charles and Diana lived separately. In 1992 the separation was made public.