A Day That Shook The World: Charles and Diana separate

On 9 December 1992 the Prince and Princess of Wales announced their separation.

The Prime Minister John Major issued a directive from Buckingham Palace making it clear that “Their Royal Highnesses are not seeking a divorce” and that “Their position in the constitution remains the same.”

News of the separation followed years of speculation about the state of their once “fairytale” marriage amid whispers of infidelity on both sides - the most notable of which was Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, whom he later married.

Watch this British Pathe newsreel showing the Prime Minister’s announcement of the separation, footage from Charles and Diana’s last official engagement and opinion from the public in the separation aftermath.