Freshly released Irish government documents have shed new light on the intense media rivalry between the late Princess of Wales and the then-Prince of Wales, revealing that Diana's team was considered "far more" skilled and devoted significant effort to "upstaging" Charles's official engagements.
The Strategic Royal Visit to Ireland
The assessment comes from files concerning King Charles's two-day visit to Ireland in June 1995, which occurred three years after his formal separation from Diana. According to the notes, Charles's camp viewed the trip's coverage as a crucial component of a "long-term public relations strategy to rehabilitate the Prince in the eyes of the British public" following the high-profile breakdown of his marriage.
Irish officials recorded that Charles's press team, led first by press secretary Alan Percival and later by his successor Sandy Henney, felt the Irish visit represented "the best public outing the Prince has had in a very long time." Ms Henney, described in a Department of Foreign Affairs memo as "fiercely loyal" to Charles and "alive to every opportunity to advance his cause," reportedly expressed a desire for the Prince to return to Ireland before the end of that summer.
The 'Predatory' Media Battle
The files, now public as part of an annual release from the National Archives of Ireland, contain a particularly revealing anecdote. Department of Foreign Affairs official Joe Hayes noted that Ms Henney joked that an approach from Princess Diana's camp for a rival visit might be forthcoming.
"I took this as a joke until she repeated it and assured me that in the media battle between the two, the Princess was by far the more predatory and skilled and her staff devoted a great deal of time to finding ways and means of upstaging St James’s Palace," Hayes recorded.
This candid remark underscores the fiercely competitive atmosphere between the two households, with Diana's operation perceived as more aggressive and adept at capturing public and press attention.
Contrasting Coverage Across the Irish Sea
The documents also note the differing media impact of the visit in the UK and Ireland. Officials from both sides acknowledged that while coverage in the UK was positive, it was "relatively light" compared to the blanket, extensive reporting the trip received within Ireland itself.
This disparity highlights the specific public relations goals of Charles's team at the time, aiming for carefully managed, favourable imagery abroad to bolster his standing back home, all while navigating the shadow of Diana's formidable media presence.
The insights, contained in the National Archives of Ireland file 2025/124/160, offer a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes perceptions of the royal rift during a pivotal decade, illustrating how diplomatic communications captured the echoes of a very personal and public conflict.
