The late Princess Diana's relationship with Major James Hewitt has long been the subject of gossip related to the royal family, but little is known about who facilitated a married woman getting close to the officer of the Life Guards.
Royal journalist and commentator the late James Whitaker wrote that initially, it was King Charles's (then Prince of Wales) unwillingness to teach his son, William, how to ride a horse.
In his 1993 book "Charles Vs Diana", Whitaker wrote about the status of Diana and Charles's marriage and how she came close to Hewitt.
"By 1988, the royal marriage had reached a new level of detachment. It was inevitable that a young and healthy woman, married to a detached and unphysical husband, would experience feelings and desires which found no outlet."
He added, "Things were to change when, that summer, she arrived at Combermere Barracks near Windsor with her sons for riding lessons."
"In retrospect, it could be argued that if the Prince of Wales had taken upon himself the perennial fatherly chore of teaching his children how to ride, Diana's brief and controversial liaison with Major James Hewitt may never have happened."
"But William needed to be taught to ride, and since Charles wasn't providing the lessons, they would come from the army."
Offended by Hewitt's relationship with Diana, his girlfriend Emma Stewardson went to a tabloid with her story about his crush on the Princess in March 1991.
According to Whitaker, "Despite Emma's interview, Diana and Hewitt were still sufficiently friendly in the summer of 1991 for him to spend the evening of her 30th birthday at Kensington Palace. Charles was, as usual, absent."
"However, the two men met a fortnight later, and in very public circumstances. Charles had agreed to play in a charity polo match at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club near Windsor, in aid of families of soldiers killed in the desert. Charles lined up with the 7th Armoured Brigade, while opposite him was Hewitt, playing for 4th Armoured Brigade."
"Before too long, both men were clashing in a series of encounters to the delight of the crowd. Hewitt emerged victorious as his Black Rates beat Charles's Red Rats 4-1. After the match, Charles exploded at his polo manager Major Ronald Ferguson (the father of Sarah Ferguson). "Why didn't you tell me that man was playing?" Ferguson, astounded, replied, "I thought you knew. It's been in the newspapers for days."
