A letter written by Princess Diana at the age of 17 has surfaced for sale, revealing her youthful ambition to become a professional dancer. The correspondence, dated 1 February 1979, was penned a year before she began dating Prince Charles.
In the letter, Diana wrote: "I am off to find a place to dance. I have always wanted to and hope one day to get somewhere." The two-page note was a thank you to Mildred Lacy, who had sent well wishes to Diana's father, John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, following a stroke.
Diana also mentioned her younger brother Charles Spencer, noting that he "is loving boarding school and is now very tall and grown up" for a 14-year-old. The letter is signed 'Diana' and on behalf of her brother.
The letter is expected to fetch £4,000 at Chiswick Auctions in west London. Valentina Borghi, manuscripts specialist at the auction house, said: "It is refreshing to see something related to her life before she became Princess of Wales. Not many items from that period have been offered."
Diana's love for dance endured throughout her life, culminating in her iconic dance with John Travolta at the White House in 1985. She also had a private dance teacher, former ballet dancer Anne Allan, from 1981 to 1990.
