The Reason Why Prince Charles Married Princess Diana

When then-Prince Charles proposed to Princess Diana on February 3, 1981, the royal took a matter-of-fact approach to popping the question. While Diana was reportedly delighted by his ask, Charles didn’t match her excitement about them taking the new step in their relationship. In the moment, Diana repeatedly told the prince how much she loved him, reported Andrew Morton in his biography Diana: Her True Story—In Her Own Words. However, Charles didn’t exactly validate her words of affection, simply responding with, “Whatever love means.” “He sort of had the besotted look about him looking back at it, but it wasn’t the genuine sort,” the princess told Morton. Ultimately, Charles’s lack of enthusiasm about the duo’s engagement may be attributed to the real reason why he wanted to marry Diana.

In his new book, The Royal Insider: My Life with The Queen, The King, and Princess Diana, Paul Burrell, a former royal butler, provides a glimpse at the everyday dynamic between Diana and Charles, shedding light on how the two interacted in private. The princess felt close to Burrell, often revealing what Charles had said to her to him. It was in one of these conversations in which the former butler learned why the prince had decided to marry Diana. “Diana once told me that Charles had told her in the middle of one of their epic arguments: ‘I never loved you. I only married you to have children,'” he wrote in the book, Marie Claire reported.

Burrell reported that after Diana gave birth to Prince Harry, the couple’s second son, Charles told her that he no longer needed her as a romantic partner. “Then came the damning blow,” the former butler wrote. “He said: ‘Well at least I’ve got my heir and spare now and I can return to Camilla.'” The prince’s words took a toll on Diana. “She told me: ‘I cried myself to sleep that night knowing that my marriage was over. I gave him four good years and he was gone. And for the rest of the time I had to pretend and put on a facade for the world,'” he wrote in his book.

Even though Charles had made it clear that their union was effectively over, Diana struggled to accept his declaration, according to Burrell. “Diana never wanted a divorce,” he wrote. “Despite everything that happened, I have no doubt that Diana fell in love with Prince Charles. Unfortunately for Diana, the feeling was not mutual.” Ultimately, the prince got his way: On December 10, 1992, the couple separated. “This decision has been reached amicably, and they will both continue to participate fully in the upbringing of their children,” said Prime Minister John Major in his address to the nation regarding the announcement. Almost four years later, on August 29, 1996, they finalized their divorce, cementing the end of their relationship.