Was Camilla Parker Bowles really to blame? The untold truth behind Diana and Charles's failed marriage

During the last few years of her life, Princess Diana explained the real reason for the failure of her marriage to Prince Charles. Contrary to the public's perception of the reason for this, Camilla Parker wasn't the sole reason; many factors and people led to the failure of her relationship with Prince Charles.

Whereas Camilla's presence was a definite cause, Diana made it clear that not only was her presence a factor in the collapse of this marriage, but she also added that she felt lonely and manipulated and could only endure with the limited support she obtained from the surrounding people. This poisonous marital environment, coupled with the relentless demands of the royal family, rendered it so stifling and difficult to have a decent relationship with Prince Charles.

Royal aides' influence

Diana made known that the culture within the royal palace had a stranglehold on her, and the effect of some of the palace aides contributed to the weakening of their marriage. She was affected by postpartum depression when she gave birth to Prince Harry. All the pressure weakened her mentally, and with the Prince.

Apart from the external issues, Diana's marriage was also dented by internal issues. After giving birth to Prince Harry, she went through postpartum depression, which was added to by the extreme public scrutiny she faced. Her relationship with Charles and her health suffered as a result of these stresses.

Diana felt conflicted, isolated and alone, and unsupported, especially during her most vulnerable moments. She described how certain royal insiders and courtiers were adamant on keeping her out of the foreground because her growing popularity and sympathetic public profile threatened the entrenched monarchy.

In addition to straining her marriage, the poisonous environment made it difficult for her to parent her children in the way she hoped. Diana's preference for a more active, emotionally expressive style of parenting conflicted with the more formal, distant tradition of the palace.

The legacy of truth

Princess Diana's disclosures revealed the complex reasons for the collapse of her marriage. Although Camilla did have a definite role to play, her affair with Prince Charles ended because of a mix of palace politics within, personal issues, and outside pressures.