Rare photographs of a young Princess Diana during her school days have surfaced and are set to be sold at auction. The candid images were taken by her friend Katherine Hanbury, who attended West Heath Girls' School in Sevenoaks, Kent, with Diana between 1973 and 1977.
The photos, taken in 1977 just months before Diana first met Prince Charles, show the then 16-year-old in her school room, walking on the grounds, and relaxing with friends. Hanbury preserved the snaps for decades, keeping them in excellent condition.
The collection, which also includes letters from Diana, is being auctioned by Gorringe's Auctioneers of Lewes, East Sussex, with an estimated price of £4,000 to £6,000. Albert Radford, a books and manuscripts specialist at Gorringe's, described the archive as offering a rare glimpse of Diana before fame and duty defined her.
Among the items is a handwritten note Diana sent to Hanbury during her honeymoon with Charles in September 1981. In the three-page letter, Diana describes a 'blissful honeymoon' aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, with 'endless sun' and 'calm seas,' and expresses her love for rural life in Scotland.
The auction is scheduled for July 7.
