1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: a show for those interested in the big and small 4 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: moments of history. I'm Gabe Lousier, and today we're talking 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: about the time when a British monarch took the matter 6 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: of someone else's marriage into her own hands. The day 7 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: was December. Britain's Queen Elizabeth the Second, sent a letter 8 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: to her son, Prince Charles and his wife, Princess Diana, 9 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: urging the couple to get a divorce. The note was 10 00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: sent after three years of married separation, during which time 11 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: both Charles and Diana had pursued other relationships. The protracted 12 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: royal scandal had troubled the Queen for some time, and 13 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: when she was finally convinced that their marriage was beyond repair, 14 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: she advised them to make their split official. Prince Charles, 15 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: heir to the British throne, was married to Lady Diana Spencer, 16 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: a school teacher. On July night one, the ceremony at St. 17 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: Paul's Cathedral was attended by more than twenty six hundred 18 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 1: guests and nearly a billion people across seventy four countries 19 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: watched the event live on TV. Three years later, the 20 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: couple had their first child, Prince William, and then their second, 21 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: Prince Harry, in four Over time, what had seemed like 22 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: a fairy tale romance gradually lost its luster. The couple 23 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,559 Speaker 1: spent more and more time apart, a fact that did 24 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: not go ignored by the media. It quickly became clear 25 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: that the biggest obstacle in the marriage was that Charles 26 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: was in love with someone else. Diana had long suspected 27 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: that her husband still had feelings for Camilla Parker Bowls, 28 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:25,119 Speaker 1: his ex girlfriend from the early nineteen seventies. Diana had 29 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: hoped that time and their own growing family would dull 30 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: the old attraction, but it never did. As the years 31 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 1: went by, the couple grew more estranged, and Charles eventually 32 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: started an affair with Camilla. Diana knew about the not 33 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 1: so secret affair, and soon the whole world did too. Finally, 34 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: in Charles and Diana announced that they were separating, but 35 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: would continue to carry out their royal duties. The awkward 36 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: arrangement continued for three years and finally reached its tipping point. 37 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: On November that evening, Diana gave a revealing interview on 38 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,679 Speaker 1: a British current affairs program called Panorama. During the broadcast, 39 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: which was watched by almost twenty three million people, Diana 40 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: referenced her husband's long term affair with Camilla. She said, quote, 41 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: there were three of us in this marriage, an arrangement 42 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: that she aptly described as crowded. Diana went on to 43 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: describe her husband's entourage as the enemy, and suggested that 44 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: the monarchy itself was in need of a major overhaul. 45 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: The revelations struck a chord with the public, who quickly 46 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: sided with the princess against the rest of the royal family. 47 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: One month after Diana's tell all interview, a royal messenger 48 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: appeared at her front door. He delivered a letter in 49 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: the Queen's hand writing, bearing the crest of the House 50 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: of Windsor. The message was kurt and more than a 51 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: little cold. It read quote, I have consulted with the 52 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: Archbishop of Canterbury, and with the Prime Minister, and of 53 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: course with Charles, and we have decided that the best 54 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: course for you is divorce. You'll notice that the letter 55 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: reads more like an order than as a request or suggestion. 56 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: That's partly because Diana had already made it known that 57 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: she didn't want a divorce. The queen's letter was to 58 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,919 Speaker 1: tell the princess, in no uncertain terms, that the choice 59 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: was no longer hers to make. Diana said as much herself. 60 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,799 Speaker 1: After reading the letter, She reportedly told her butler, Paul Barrell, quote, 61 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: that's rich. They get to decide whether I divorce. In 62 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: the end, the Queen got her way, as queens typically do. 63 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: Charles and Diana filed for divorce two months later, and 64 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 1: in August of nineteen ninety six, their fifteen year marriage 65 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: came to an end. Per the terms of the final agreement, 66 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: Diana relinquished the title of her Royal Highness as well 67 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: as any future claim to the British throne. In exchange, 68 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: she was awarded a substantial settlement and was allowed to 69 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: retain her place at Kensington Palace, as well as her 70 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 1: title of Princess of Wales. She and Charles also agreed 71 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: to joint custody of their sons, but sadly, the terms 72 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 1: of the separation wouldn't matter for long. The following year, 73 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: on August thirty first, nineteen ninety seven, Diana died in 74 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: a car crash in Paris. According to French police, Diana's driver, 75 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: who also died in the crash, had been heavily intoxicated 76 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,160 Speaker 1: and caused the accident while trying to get away from 77 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: a group of paparazzi photographers. The pain of that day 78 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: still lingers for countless people, a sure sign that Diana 79 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: Spencer achieved a goal she first described in her interview 80 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:17,359 Speaker 1: with Panorama, the desire to be not a queen of 81 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: a country, but a queen in people's hearts. As for 82 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: Prince Charles, he married his longtime mistress in April of 83 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: two thousand five, and the royal family has been drama 84 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: free ever since. I'm Gabe Louzier and hopefully you now 85 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: know a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 86 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: You can learn even more about history by following us 87 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:50,119 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t D I HC Show, 88 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,279 Speaker 1: And if you'd like to advise me on any major 89 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: life decisions, you can send a rudely brief note to 90 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: this day at I heart media dot com. Just make 91 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: sure you've consulted with an archbishop first, otherwise I ain't listening. 92 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: Thanks to Chandler May's for producing the show, and thank 93 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: you for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow 94 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: for another day in history class. For more podcasts from 95 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 96 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.