EXCLUSIVE: Princess Diana's Poignant Dream for Her Future Revealed In Resurfaced Letter Written When She Was 17
Princess Diana's letter has been revealed.
June 20 2026, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Princess Diana dreamed not of palaces, titles, or royal duties, but of a future on the dance floor, according to a newly resurfaced letter written when she was just 17 years old.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the two-page note, written in 1979 before Diana's relationship with the then-Prince Charles began and two years before their wedding in 1981, offers a rare glimpse into the private ambitions of the teenager who would later become one of the most famous women in the world.
Princess Diana's Touching Letter Revealed
Princess Diana sent the family letter directly to Mildred Lacy
The letter was sent to Mildred Lacy after Lacy wrote to Diana's father, Earl John Spencer, wishing him a speedy recovery following a stroke in September 1978.
Writing on behalf of her father, Diana, who was killed in a Paris car smash aged 36 in 1997, expressed gratitude for the support her family had received during a difficult period.
She wrote: "Thank you so much for writing to Daddy. As he cannot do it himself, he asked me to write and tell you how grateful he was. We have all been so lucky, and everyone has helped us no end, which we are eternally thankful. Soon he will come home, which will be amazing after all these months."
The Dream She Never Gave Up
Princess Diana expressed immense gratitude for the local support.
The letter, unveiled as part of an auction, also revealed the future princess's hopes for her life.
Reflecting on her passion for dance, Diana wrote: "I have always wanted to and hope one day to get somewhere," before adding that she was "off to find a place to dance."
She also shared family news, writing her younger brother, Charles Spencer, then 14, is "loving boarding school and is now very tall and grown up for a 14-year-old."
Valentina Borghi, a manuscripts specialist involved in the sale, said the letter stood apart from many Diana-related items that emerge at auction because it predated her entry into royal life.
She said: "It is refreshing to see something related to her life before she became Princess of Wales. Not many items from that period have been offered."
Borghi added that collectors would likely be drawn to the insight the correspondence provides into Diana's early years.
She said: "It is surely different to handle something that is related to her life before her marriage to Charles, and collectors will love it."
Dance Was In Princess Diana's Soul
Princess Diana studied classical ballet during her childhood years.
Dance remained a lifelong passion for Diana.
As a child, she studied ballet and reportedly hoped to pursue it seriously, although her height ultimately made a professional career difficult.
After marrying Charles, Diana continued taking lessons and worked with private dance teacher Anne Allan between 1981 and 1990.
Speaking in the documentary Diana: In Her Own Words, Allan described the central role dance played in the royal's life.
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The beloved royal found immense freedom through creative movement.
She said: "When I first met her, you could see that there was a huge shyness. But over time, as we went through our dance class, I realized just how much dance meant to her."
Allan later added: "She had dance in her soul."
She also said Diana found freedom and comfort through movement, explaining: "She loved the freeness of being able to move and dance. She loved it."
In a separate interview, Allan reflected further on Diana's connection to dance. She said: "She loved to dance. The minute she started to move her arms, you could see the feeling that it brought her. She was able to be herself. She loved to move and loved to have fun."
