Princess Diana's letters sell for £145,550 at Cornwall auction

The letters were written to two of Princess Diana's closest friends

A collection of 32 letters written by Princess Diana have sold for £145,550 at an auction in Cornwall.

The collection of letters document Diana's feelings in the last two years of her life.

The letters were written to two of her closest friends, Susie and Tarek Kassem, who treasured them for more than 25 years.

One letter, in which Diana wrote about being worried her phone line was bugged, sold for £23,000.

In this letter, dated 20 May 1996, Diana also wrote: "If I had known a year ago what I'd experience going through this divorce, I'd never have consented - it's desperate and ugly."

In one letter Princess Diana wrote about her phone line being "constantly recorded"

The letters - which span a 20-month period from the last days of summer 1995 to the spring of 1997 - were auctioned by Lay's Auctioneers in Penzance.

The auctioneers said some of the letters touched on "the enormous stress she was experiencing during periods of very public heartbreak", adding that despite this, her "strength of character and her generous and witty disposition" shone through.

In a letter dated 23 April 1996, Diana apologised for cancelling a trip to the opera to see Tosca with her friends. The letter sold for £12,500.

The letter, written on her personal cream and burgundy Kensington Palace notepaper, reads: "I am having a very difficult time and the pressure is serious and coming from all sides.

"It's too difficult sometimes to keep one's head up and today I'm on my knees and just longing for this divorce to go through as the possible cost is tremendous. Lots of love, Diana."

The princess wrote about her struggles during her divorce

A Lay's Auctioneers spokesman said it was extremely unusual for letters like these with such personal content to come up for sale.

"She was someone who was very open and very loving to her friends and it shines through in her letters, particularly to people she was obviously very fond of and close to," he said.

"It gives a lovely insight into the woman and she obviously was a very special loving person."

The proceeds from the sale will go to support charities that were close to the hearts of both Susie and Diana.

Diana described her friendship with Mrs Kassem, who was 15 years older, like that of an older sister with whom she shared various interests.

In another note she wrote: "I am lost for words for all the lovely things you bring into my life, when many people would have deserted this ship!"

Diana was divorced in August 1996 after 15 years of marriage.

In one letter Princess Diana spoke about not being a lover of Christmas

At Christmas in 1996, the Princess wrote about how she was not a lover of Christmas, adding, "I will top myself if I remain here".

She said: "I hope that '97 will be an easier year for us all."

That letter sold for the largest sum - £26,000 - considerably more than the pre-sale estimate of between £3,000 and £6,000.

Princess Diana died eight months later in the car crash in Paris.

The 32 cards and letters were expected to sell for £90,000 but sold for a total hammer price of £145,550.