Princess Diana's Bodyguard Claims She 'Jumped' From Her Balcony After 'Deciding She Wanted Out' of Tumultuous Marriage to King Charles

Princess Diana's bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, who had been by her side for a good portion of her royal career, claimed Diana "jumped" from her balcony during her disintegrating marriage to then-Prince Charles.

Wharfe, who stepped back as her protection officer in 1993 after six years of service to the late Princess of Wales, explained how he wanted to keep her safe from her own demons, but ultimately felt that he had failed at that task.

Diana — who died in 1997 in a fiery car crash in Paris — was becoming distraught after she and Charles, now 77, announced their separation in 1992 after 11 years of marriage.

"I reflected back to that moment when Diana abandoned her security because I knew deep in my heart that without it, she would ultimately perish," Wharfe said in a new Channel 5 documentary titled Diana: The Princess and the Bodyguard.

"She was incredibly tearful because let’s not forget when a statement like that is made to the world that your marriage is effectively over, that's a very distressing thing to hear. But clearly in my view, this is what she wanted. She wanted out of this marriage," he said.

Wharfe, who started working for Diana in 1986, was hired to mainly to look after Prince William and Prince Harry.

He described 1993 as "a very, very difficult period for Diana."

In March of that year, Wharfe accompanied Diana to a skiing resort in Lech, Austria.

During one early morning, he went to check on Diana in her room. "So, I went outside to the front of her suite and the balcony that she had. There had been a heavy snowfall that night," he recalled.

"But I could see this almost human-like impression in this deep snow, and then these steps away from the balcony. Much to my utter amazement, I realized she must have jumped about 20 feet down from this first-floor balcony," he added.

"She could have died. I mean, making no small point about it. I was actually concerned, really, for her own mentality. Quite what was her state of mind in actually attempting or believing that she could do something like that," he sighed.

When he knocked on her door, Diana seemed "happy," and told Wharfe that she simply needed some air. "So, I said, 'That's a pretty stupid thing to jump from that balcony,'" he remembered.

She then told him that she "just decided I wanted out," adding, "I didn't want to disturb your colleagues. I didn't want to make a fuss about it."

Wharfe then replied to the princess: "It could have been a real fuss had you killed yourself."

One day after the incident, Wharfe felt like he needed to leave his post, as he was traumatized by Diana's impulsive act.

He looked back on the last conversation he had with Diana about his resignation, noting: "Look, following on what happened yesterday, I'm afraid it’s not something that I'm prepared to accept. Because that really, for me, actually puts your safety in jeopardy, and for that reason, I shall be leaving your service."

Diana was "shocked" by Wharfe's exit, but he "could see things were getting worse."

"And I wasn't prepared to run with that," he said. "It was a difficult decision. I felt sad because I enjoyed the work that I did with her, but I felt it was the right decision, if only to guarantee her security. And I did not want to be part of a security team that failed her."