Princess Diana's Relationship With Her Sons Revealed: Prince Harry Was A Troublemaker, William Was Affectionate

Recently sold handwritten letters from the late Princess Diana give a glimpse into the behavior of her two sons as they were growing up. Prince Harry? A little troublemaker. The eldest, Prince William? He was the affectionate one, apparently.

“William adores his little brother and spends the entire time swamping Harry with an endless supply of hugs and kisses, hardly letting the parents near!” Diana wrote in a letter addressed from September 1984.

That letter, alongside five others from the princess from the former estate of ex-Buckingham Palace steward Cyril Dickman was sold Thursday for nearly $19,000, according to BBC News. The letters were part of 40 lots of the Dickman estate that, overall, sold for just over $68,000. The estate was originally expected to sell for around $16,000.

When Harry was a bit older, another note read, he began a troublemaking streak. An October 1992 letter said that the two brothers “are well and enjoying boarding school a lot, although Harry is constantly in trouble!”

The auction where the letters were sold also included letters, cards and photographs from Prince Charles and Princess Margaret. More than a dozen Christmas cards from various members of the Royal family including Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth were also sold. An unopened boxed wedding cake from the Queen’s 1947 marriage to Prince Philip was sold, too.

Diana died Aug. 31, 1997 in a car crash as she, her bodyguard and a driver drove along the Seine River in Paris. Her car was being chased by photographers and motorcycles, which were quickly blamed for the pressuring the driver and leading to the accident. Her every move was followed closely by tabloids and photographers after a high profile divorce from Prince Charles that was highly controversial and openly emotional. The beloved princess was 36 at the time of her death.