Princess Diana's former
lover Oliver Hoare has died aged 73 after a long battle with cancer.
The art dealer, who Diana
became 'obsessed' with in 1992, died at home in France.
A married father-of-three,
he was a close friend of Prince Charles.
It's thought he began an
affair with Diana in 1992, after her dad Earl Spencer passed away.
Hoare was 16 years older
than Princess Diana.
A former bodyguard said he
had once spotted him "semi-naked behind a potted bay tree in a Kensington
Palace corridor, smoking a cigar"
Hoare was allegedly
discovered by the Princess’ former royal protection officer, Ken Wharfe.
But he never publicly
admitted to the affair.
His affair with the
princess ended when his French born wife Diane threatened divorce, according to
reports.
Princess Diana had become
infatuated with Hoare and once told her confidante, Lady Bowker, she dreamed of
living in Italy with him, according to the Daily Mail.
After the affair cooled
off, Diana reportedly admitted in a 1995 Panorama interview she'd called him
sometimes, over a period of up to nine months, but not in an obsessive manner.
Hoare began as an art
history student at the Sorbonne.
Later he became an Islamic
art specialist and is believed to have sold Sheik Saud Al Thani of Qatar
artworks worth more than £20million.
Princess Diana only married
once but rumours of romantic affairs have remained rife well beyond her death.
Diana admitted to also
having an affair with military man James Hewitt while she was married to
Charles.
It lasted five years and
ended around 1992.
He has since said: "I
think she was quite easy to fall in love with really…"
In another affair, Dodi
Fayed broke off his engagement with an American model to be with Diana.
They went public in July
1997, spending nine days together on holiday along the French and Italian
Riviera on his family yacht.
They were pictured together
at the Ritz the night they died.
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