According to a discovered letter, Princess Diana hoped her interview with Panorama would teach her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, "the importance of communication.".
The handwritten correspondence, which will be auctioned by Reeman Dansie on June 9, is addressed to Michael Barratt and written on November 27, 1995, a week after her famous interview.
The former Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 at the age of 36, wrote a two-page letter on Kensington Palace letterhead outlining her wishes for her sons William and Harry and expressed hope that they could one day forge a deeper connection.
The late princess's words seem particularly touching in retrospect, given that William and Harry are sadly believed to no longer be in touch.
Contents of the new letter
«"She hopes that her interview with Panorama will help other women facing similar challenges and looks forward to sharing and teaching William and Harry the importance of connecting on a deeper level," the auctioneer's website says.
The signature read, "With best wishes, Yours sincerely, Diana," and the letter remained in Michael's possession for three decades.
Princess Diana expressed hope for a "deeper connection" between her sons in the future (Photo by Tim Graham via Get).
The auctioneers said: "Mr Michael Barrett watched the interview on Panorama on 20 November 1995 and was so moved by it that he sent Princess Diana a letter of encouragement, saying how difficult it can be to move on and that life can get better with time.".
«To his great surprise, a week later he received this wonderful answer, which he has kept in a careful vault ever since.».
Sadly, it is believed that Prince William and Prince Harry are no longer in touch (Getty Images).
The rare letter is expected to sell for up to £4,000 at auction in Colchester, Essex.
It comes just days after auction house Gorringe's released previously unpublished photographs of the late princess, showing her as a schoolgirl in the 1970s.
Diana's interview for Panorama
Princess Diana's interview with Martin Bashir BBC Panorama program In 1995, 23 million people watched it.
During the 54-minute interview, she spoke candidly about Prince Charles's relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, including the fact that "there were three of us in this marriage.".
Princess Diana was interviewed by Martin Bashir for the BBC's Panorama programme in 1995 (Corbis via Getty Images).
She also opened up about her struggle with bulimia and how lonely and isolating life in the royal family can be.
However, it was later revealed that Martin Bashir had deceived Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, to arrange a meeting with Diana and persuade her to agree to an interview.
Earl Spencer claimed Martin Bashir showed him "fake bank statements" that were used to help him gain access to the princess.
In 2021, Lord Dyson's inquiry found that the disgraced journalist had resorted to "deceptive methods" to secure interviews, a "serious breach" of BBC editorial guidelines.
In a video message, Prince William said the corporation "failed my mother" and called the investigation's findings "extremely disturbing.".
Harry said: "The consequences of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately cost her life.".