'i love her still' james hewitt's claim about princess diana revealed

Princess Diana and Prince Charles had a famously turbulent marriage, which was rocked by infidelities, including Diana’s affair with Army officer James Hewitt from 1986 to 1991. The affair

still has a powerful hold on the imagination, as musical ‘Diana’, which opens tomorrow at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, proves. It features one scene in which Hewitt, dressed

only in underwear, caresses Diana on stage, and has prompted royal expert Ingrid Seward to comment: “It is in such bad taste that it’s best ignored.” In his 1999 autobiography "A Love

Like No Other – Diana and Me", Mr Hewitt wrote about how he still loves the late Princess of Wales. He wrote: ”I loved Diana. I love her still. “I feel blessed that she loved me and we

were able to enjoy a few short years which reached heights of happiness I have never known before or since.” He added: “But part of me wishes it had never happened; that she and Prince

Charles had had a successful marriage. “I know for certain that if Diana, Princess of Wales, had gone on to become Queen of England, we would have had in Buckingham Palace a woman whose

compassion and thoughtfulness and understanding of the problems of ordinary people would have made her a Queen who would have changed the face of British society like no other before.” In

the book, the former cavalry officer also detailed how the affair began when he was engaged as a horse riding tutor for the princess. His affair with Princess Diana hit headlines after her 

infamous 1995 Panorama interview, well-remembered for Diana’s comments on her “crowded” marriage with Prince Charles and his mistress Camilla Parker Bowles.  Questioned on her infidelity

with Mr Hewitt, Diana said: “Yes, I adored him. yes, I was in love with him – but I was very let down.” It is widely believed that the Princess was referring to the 1994 book, "Princess

In Love", which Mr Hewitt collaborated on beside author Anna Pasternak. Ms Pastnerak has today commented on the new generation of royals, claiming that Meghan Markle has

"rejuvented the spirit" of Wallis Simpson. She told S Magazine: “Meghan is like a grenade that's been thrown into this archaic system and there are explosions already going on

which I think will continue." Mr Hewitt again courted controversy when, during an appearance in 2003 on the American television chat show Larry King Live, he said that he would

consider selling Diana’s love letters to him for £10million, claiming they deserved a wider circulation as “important historical documents”. In his 1999 book, however, he claims: “I burned

some of the most intimate letters sent to me by Princess Diana. “The few letters I chose to destroy were so personal, that if their contents were ever to be revealed, they could surely only

ever cause pain.  “Diana’s sons, William and Harry, who have been through so much already, would surely suffer if these intimate missives were ever to fall into the wrong hands or made

public.”  In 2011 he told US television show Inside Edition that he had considered suicide after his affair with Diana ended, saying: "I got in my car and loaded a few things up to get

on the ferry to go to France – to shoot myself.”  Most recently, in 2017, health concerns mounted for Mr Hewitt after he suffered a heart attack and a stroke, and left hospital to recuperate

at home in Exeter with his mother.