King Charles Giving Up on Trying to Repair the Public's Views on His 'Disastrous Marriage' to Princess Diana

OK! can reveal King Charles has quietly resigned himself to what he sees as one of the great failures of his life, accepting the public story of his marriage to Princess Diana will never fully reflect his own view of what went wrong.

The now 77-year-old monarch's 15-year marriage to Diana, who was 20 when they wed in 1981 and 36 when she died in 1997 in a Paris car smash, remains one of the most scrutinized relationships in modern history.

Their union, which produced two sons – Prince William, 43, and Prince Harry, 41 – ended in divorce in 1996 and was overshadowed by affairs on both sides, including Charles' long relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, now Queen Camilla, 78.

Nearly three decades on, the marriage continues to define how many people judge the monarch, even as he undergoes cancer treatment and reflects on his legacy.

According to veteran royal biographer Robert Jobson, writing in his new book The Windsor Legacy, Charles has come to accept that the version of events fixed in the public imagination is unlikely to change.

In the book, Jobson says: "His detractors focus on his neglect of his young bride and his adultery, branding him unfit for kingship, while overlooking her many affairs."

Jobson adds the imbalance still troubles the King, noting: "What frustrates the King even now is that Diana's version of what happened is still believed, despite being, in his view, ‘a tissue of lies' fed to a sympathetic but gullible press. It is wrong in his opinion that they have become ‘historical fact.'"

A source told us Charles has finally given up trying to repair the public's and his family's views on his disastrous marriage, and is now resigned to "dying with the reality it was one of his biggest failures in life."

They added: "Charles feels he has spent decades carrying the blame for a marriage that was deeply flawed on both sides. As he gets older, he has accepted that there is no realistic way to rewrite that narrative, no matter how painful that acceptance is. It is part of him preparing for himself for a peaceful death really, with no regrets."

Jobson also writes time has forced a degree of resignation for Charles.

He added: "Over time, Charles has learned to live with this distorted image, especially after Diana's death, realizing that no amount of effort can erase the stains on his reputation."

The author adds the King believes he failed on multiple levels, writing Charles "feels he let down not only the monarchy but also himself and Diana by not calling off the wedding, when he knew it was wrong."

Another source said that sense of regret has sharpened with age.

"There is a feeling that this is the one decision he cannot undo," the insider said. "Charles believes calling off the wedding would have spared everyone immense pain, but he now sees that acknowledging that mistake publicly would change nothing."

Charles and Diana's marriage was doomed by mismatch, pressure, and timing. He sought stability and emotional continuity with Camilla, but Diana wanted affection, reassurance and partnership. Thrust together by duty and spectacle, they barely knew each other.

The age gap, relentless media glare and palace expectations magnified misunderstandings. Both strayed, trust collapsed and resentment hardened. Attempts at reconciliation failed amid leaks, interviews and competing narratives.

Divorce in 1996 formalized a rupture long evident.

A source said: "Diana's death froze public sympathy in her favor, while Charles carried blame. Their union became a cautionary tale about tradition overriding compatibility, and the human cost of joining the monarchy."