In his career as a royal author, Andrew Morton has made his name not only through historical accounts but also through exclusive, often controversial stories that have shaped public understanding of some of the most famous figures in modern history. Morton’s path to fame, however, began with a groundbreaking and unprecedented biography in 1992: Diana: Her True Story. This book revealed, for the first time, the deeply personal struggles of Princess Diana, most notably the unhappiness in her marriage to Prince Charles.
The story behind Diana: Her True Story is as remarkable as the book itself. Morton, a journalist with an eye for royal affairs, was given unprecedented access to the princess’s private world, but the path to this access was anything but straightforward. It began with a chance encounter with Diana’s friend, James Colthurst, during a royal engagement. Colthurst, a man with a close relationship to Diana, played a pivotal role in helping Morton tell Diana’s side of the story. Their friendship, which had started years earlier when they were both teenagers on a skiing holiday, had endured despite the princess’s increasingly public and tumultuous life.
What followed was an extraordinary act of subterfuge that became the backbone of Morton’s biography. As Diana was eager to share her truth, but equally fearful of the consequences, she relied on Colthurst as an intermediary. The princess, sitting in her Kensington Palace drawing room, would record her thoughts on a tape recorder, answering Morton’s questions—questions that he never directly asked her. Colthurst would then cycle to a café near Morton’s home to deliver the tapes, maintaining deniability for both Diana and Morton. This clandestine exchange occurred multiple times, all the while Diana spoke candidly about her struggles, including her marriage to Charles, her bulimia nervosa, and even her thoughts on suicide.
The tapes proved to be a treasure trove of information, detailing Diana’s experiences and her troubled marriage. Most notably, she spoke about Camilla Parker Bowles—Charles’s long-time confidante and the woman who would later become his second wife. This revelation was shocking to the public, as Diana’s account, in her own words, painted a picture of a marriage fractured by betrayal and emotional turmoil. The public had long suspected issues between Diana and Charles, but the candid admissions in Diana: Her True Story were unprecedented.
When the book was released in June 1992, it caused a media frenzy. It provided the first in-depth look at Diana’s life and revealed the personal turmoil she had suffered behind closed doors. As the book became a sensation, it also had major consequences for the royal family. Prince Charles and Diana were already separated by the time of the book’s release, and their divorce was finalized in 1996. The public revelations about Diana’s unhappiness, as well as the mention of Camilla, shifted the public’s perception of both Charles and Diana. It also led to Charles publicly admitting his relationship with Camilla during an interview with biographer Jonathan Dimbleby later that year.
However, the true impact of Diana: Her True Story was not fully realized until after Diana’s tragic death in 1997. At that time, Morton released the full transcripts of the conversations he had with Colthurst, which revealed even more personal details about Diana’s involvement in the book. These transcripts provided a fuller, more poignant picture of her life, adding a layer of emotional depth to her legacy.
Since Diana: Her True Story, Morton has gone on to write biographies of other high-profile figures, including David and Victoria Beckham, Meghan Markle, and even the late Queen Elizabeth II. However, the Princess Diana biography remains his most famous and impactful work, cementing Morton as a key figure in royal reporting and biography. His ability to capture the personal struggles and triumphs of royal figures has made him a respected voice in royal affairs.
The story of Diana: Her True Story is a powerful reminder of the lengths to which individuals will go to control their narrative, and the profound impact that storytelling can have on both the public and the individuals involved. Morton’s work continues to influence how we understand the royals, and it highlights the power of the written word in shaping public perception and history.
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