Infatuated Princess Diana thanked her "Darling Dodi" for the "most magical" holiday in intimate love letters made public for the first time yesterday.
Diana wrote two letters on headed Kensington Palace notepaper after returning from a holiday in St Tropez with the millionaire son of Harrods tycoon Mohammed Al Fayed.
In the first, dated August 6 1997, she said: "Darling Dodi, Heaven knows where on earth I begin to thank you for the most magical six days on the ocean waves.
"It is a bit of Oh my God situation. I adored it all and every possible minute was full of laughter and happiness, and that combination is a serious treat." She ended: "This comes with all the love in the world and, as always, a million heartfelt thanks for bringing such joy into this particular chick's life, from Diana xx"
Diana wrote two letters on headed Kensington Palace notepaper after returning from a holiday in St Tropez with the millionaire son of Harrods tycoon Mohammed Al Fayed.
In the first, dated August 6 1997, she said: "Darling Dodi, Heaven knows where on earth I begin to thank you for the most magical six days on the ocean waves.
"It is a bit of Oh my God situation. I adored it all and every possible minute was full of laughter and happiness, and that combination is a serious treat." She ended: "This comes with all the love in the world and, as always, a million heartfelt thanks for bringing such joy into this particular chick's life, from Diana xx"
The second poignant letter, written a week later, accompanied the gift to Dodi of a pair of cufflinks that belonged to Diana's late father Earl Spencer.
Besotted Diana wrote: "Darling Dodi, These cufflinks were the very last gift that I received from the man I loved most in the world, my father.
"They are given to you as I know how much joy it would give him to know they were in such safe and special hands.
"Fondest love, from Diana."
Just over a fortnight later the couple were killed with their chauffeur Henri Paul in a Paris car crash.
Besotted Diana wrote: "Darling Dodi, These cufflinks were the very last gift that I received from the man I loved most in the world, my father.
"They are given to you as I know how much joy it would give him to know they were in such safe and special hands.
"Fondest love, from Diana."
Just over a fortnight later the couple were killed with their chauffeur Henri Paul in a Paris car crash.
The letters were read at the inquest into Diana's death yesterday to press home Mr Al Fayed's case that the couple were deeply in love and not merely enjoying a summer fling.
They were produced during cross-examination of Rosa Monckton, one of Di's closest friends.
Ms Monckton had played down the relationship between Diana and Dodi, claiming Diana was still in love with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.
But Michael Mansfield QC, for Mr Al Fayed, said: "She was treating this relationship with Dodi as a serious matter, wasn't she? It doesn't suggest it was little more than a fling after a couple of days."
Ms Monckton said: "She tended to speak and write in an extravagant way."
But she agreed that Diana had not just written the letters to make someone happy, saying: "It was clearly more than that."
Ms Monckton told the inquest jury at the High Court in London that Diana said Dodi "showered" her with unwanted gifts. She went on: "She said she did not want to receive so many. He was going to give her a ring and it was going firmly on her right hand."
Mr Mansfield asked if Diana may have been reluctant to admit she planned to wear the ring on her left hand as she knew her friend disapproved of her blossoming relationship.
Ms Monckton denied it. But she did admit she did not approve of Dodi.
She then wept as she admitted that Diana may not have confided everything in her.
She said: "Diana was a very good friend of mine for six years.
"But that doesn't preclude her from not telling me certain things. You don't tell people everything the whole time."
The hearing had to be adjourned while Ms Monckton regained her composure.
Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker warned the QC he had come "fairly close to the line".
Earlier Ms Monckton said Diana would have stayed with Hasnat Khan if he had not ended the relationship because of the intense publicity.
She claimed Diana was devastated when pictures of her and Dodi emerged as it meant Mr Khan would not take her back.
Ms Monckton denied "putting a gloss" on her recollections.
She also denied the suggestion that Diana ended the relationship as she was in love with Dodi.
Later she said Diana had told her she regretted giving a TV interview to Martin Bashir in which she described Prince Charles's camp as the enemy.
Mr Al Fayed believes Diana's crash was an establishment plot. The hearing continues.
They were produced during cross-examination of Rosa Monckton, one of Di's closest friends.
Ms Monckton had played down the relationship between Diana and Dodi, claiming Diana was still in love with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.
But Michael Mansfield QC, for Mr Al Fayed, said: "She was treating this relationship with Dodi as a serious matter, wasn't she? It doesn't suggest it was little more than a fling after a couple of days."
Ms Monckton said: "She tended to speak and write in an extravagant way."
But she agreed that Diana had not just written the letters to make someone happy, saying: "It was clearly more than that."
Ms Monckton told the inquest jury at the High Court in London that Diana said Dodi "showered" her with unwanted gifts. She went on: "She said she did not want to receive so many. He was going to give her a ring and it was going firmly on her right hand."
Mr Mansfield asked if Diana may have been reluctant to admit she planned to wear the ring on her left hand as she knew her friend disapproved of her blossoming relationship.
Ms Monckton denied it. But she did admit she did not approve of Dodi.
She then wept as she admitted that Diana may not have confided everything in her.
She said: "Diana was a very good friend of mine for six years.
"But that doesn't preclude her from not telling me certain things. You don't tell people everything the whole time."
The hearing had to be adjourned while Ms Monckton regained her composure.
Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker warned the QC he had come "fairly close to the line".
Earlier Ms Monckton said Diana would have stayed with Hasnat Khan if he had not ended the relationship because of the intense publicity.
She claimed Diana was devastated when pictures of her and Dodi emerged as it meant Mr Khan would not take her back.
Ms Monckton denied "putting a gloss" on her recollections.
She also denied the suggestion that Diana ended the relationship as she was in love with Dodi.
Later she said Diana had told her she regretted giving a TV interview to Martin Bashir in which she described Prince Charles's camp as the enemy.
Mr Al Fayed believes Diana's crash was an establishment plot. The hearing continues.
Source: Mirror.co.uk
