The friends of Princess Diana, Susie and Tarek Kassem are auctioning 32 letters she wrote to them during her divorce from Prince Charles. The letters, described as "highly personal" and "confidential" by Lay's Auctioneers, will be sold in individual lots on Feb. 16. The auction house has referred to the letters as "astonishing."
Susie and Tarek Kassem, close friends of Princess Diana, have kept the 32 letters for over 25 years. The letters reflect their special relationship with the late Princess and are considered a responsibility by the Kassems. The auction is being held to support charities close to Susie and Diana, and the Kassems have decided not to pass the ownership of these letters to their descendants.
According to Lay's Auctioneers, 32 highly personal and confidential letters and cards sent by the late Princess of Wales, Diana, to her close friends Susie and Tarek Kassem, are set to be auctioned on Feb. 16. The letters, described as "astonishing," are believed to offer insight into Diana's life during the last two years of her life and her relationship with the Kassems. One of the letters, dated Feb. 17, 1996, and written on Kensington Palace stationery, expresses Diana's gratitude to the Kassems for the support they provided during a difficult time.
"Darling Susie, thank you for all the lovely things you said to me on the telephone tonight... You have no idea the joy and trust you and Tarek have introduced into my life and I count myself extremely fortunate both Tarek and you for believing in me..." Diana wrote on one of the notes.
"I am so sorry to disappoint you both by canceling our trip to the opera," she wrote in. "I have been so badly affected by the press and the paparazzi that I am unable to cope... I am so grateful to have you both in my life," she added.
The letters are expected to draw significant attention from buyers and collectors, as well as fans of the late princess. The exact sale price for each letter has not been determined, but auction house Lay's said it expects them to fetch "significant sums." The sale of personal letters from Princess Diana has previously drawn criticism from those who feel it is a violation of her privacy.
"I am having a very difficult time and pressure is serious and coming from all sides. It's too difficult sometimes to keep one's head up, and today I am on my knees and just longing for this divorce to go through as the possible cost is tremendous," Princess Diana reportedly wrote in a note dated April 28, 1996.