Nearly three decades after Princess Diana's tragic death, a deeply personal letter from then-Prince Charles has surfaced, offering a rare glimpse into the future monarch's private sorrow and struggle.

According to the Daily Mail, the handwritten letter, dated Dec. 8, 1997, was penned just over three months after Diana died in a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. Written on Highgrove House stationery and addressed to Charles' friend Peter Houghton, the three-page note reveals the prince's profound grief and the "unbearable emptiness" he felt following the loss of the mother of his two sons.

Charles expressed sympathy for Houghton's own bereavement while reflecting on his own pain, describing Diana as a "life-enhancer" and acknowledging the "agony" of losing someone close. The letter also touched on the "bewilderment and confusion" that comes with losing someone so young.

A royal source said the letter was striking because it showed a side of Charles rarely seen by the public during that period. "At a time when the nation was mourning Diana, he was clearly grappling with profound feelings of loss himself, even if he was largely keeping those emotions out of public view," the source said.

The correspondence also revealed Charles' religious beliefs about life after death. Quoting 1 Corinthians 13:12, he wrote: "Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face-to-face." He expressed belief in another dimension beyond this physical life and anticipated a moment when they would be called to that journey.

"This letter offers one of the clearest indications yet of the private sorrow Charles was secretly experiencing during one of the most turbulent periods in modern royal history," said a spokesperson for RR Auction in Boston, which handled the sale of the letter.

The letter was signed simply "Charles" and was accompanied by an envelope marked for hand delivery.

In parallel news by Marie Claire, King Charles reportedly had a "confidence-crushing effect" on Princess Diana throughout their marriage, according to Paul Burrell, Diana's former butler.

Burrell shared his observations in the book "A Royal Duty," recalling an incident during the royal couple's tour of Japan in November 1990. He described a moment when Diana, wearing a striking red tartan coat dress by Catherine Walker, approached Charles and asked if he liked her outfit.

"Charles and his staff were checking their watches as they milled in the grand hallway ahead of an official function when the princess, looking radiant, came downstairs wearing a Catherine Walker red tartan coat dress with red velvet collar and cuffs," Burrell wrote. "She was smiling and said, 'So, do you like my outfit, Charles?'"

According to Burrell, Charles responded with a joke that was "soft and devoid of bitterness, but its effect was brutal." He allegedly said, "Yes. You look like a British Caledonian air stewardess."

Following the comment, Charles reportedly turned and left for an awaiting car, while Diana's smile vanished. Burrell described how she looked down but then "mustered confidence from somewhere and followed him out of the door."

"It was not the only time he crushed her confidence, intentionally or otherwise," Burrell added.

The account adds to the long-documented tensions in the marriage of Charles and Diana, which have been subject to much public scrutiny over the years.

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King Charles, Princess Diana