Charles and Diana letters to be auctioned off

Prince Charles writes of being "tempered in the fire" following his separation from Diana

A candid letter written by the Prince of Wales days after his separation from Princess Diana is to be auctioned off.

It reveals his hopes of being appreciated "after I am dead" and how "awful" it had been living through "all the misinterpretation and the flak".

The letter, which was sent to interior designer Dudley Poplak, is to be sold in June.

A note from Princess Diana discussing meditation and French philosophy is also included in the lot.

'Materialist values'

Prince Charles writes that his struggles following the couple's separation were perhaps all "part of the test" that would see him come out the other side "tempered in the fire".

In the letter, written on Royal Yacht Britannia-crested paper two days after the announcement of their formal separation, he wrote: "Perhaps they will appreciate the things I try to do after I am dead!".

He added: "The trouble is that, at the time, it can be pretty awful having to live through all the misinterpretation and the flak put up by those who stand for the purist materialist values."

In a second letter, Prince Charles defends his outspoken attack on modern architecture in the BBC's 'A Vision of Britain'

In another letter dated 10 November 1988 and sent to friend and landscape consultant Vernon Russell-Smith, the prince defends his outspoken attack on modern architecture in the BBC's 'A Vision of Britain'.

"I was trying to strike a blow for the 'ordinary bloke's' point of view and hope it will have encouraged some people to pluck up courage to call the experts' bluff!" he wrote.

He added that he was "only too aware" of how easy it was to accuse him of "missing points out" or "only voicing the lowest common denominator of taste".

"Perhaps in 30 or 40 years' time I will be viewed as someone who got it all wrong and my memory will be reviled!" he wrote.

The auction includes a letter from Princess Diana, written on Kensington Palace letterhead, to the couple's friend and interior designer Dudley Poplak

The auction also includes a handwritten letter sent by Princess Diana as her 11-year marriage was breaking down, thanking Mr Poplak for finding readings for her.

"I have been fascinated by the contents of the Daily Meditations, as for a couple of years now I've followed the French philosopher Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov's way of thinking, but in my travels had not come across this particular edition," she wrote.

"You are marvellous, Dudley, the way you've kindly sent me all these things to read - they do interest me enormously."

The lots - including a pair of white shoes thought to have been worn by the 19-year-old princess when she was a nursery assistant - are each expected to fetch between £200 and £800.

In total, six lots will be auctioned at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Cirencester on 14 June.