NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Princess Diana cheated on Charles first, says former royal protection officer

NZ Herald
29 Apr, 2023 02:39 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Prince Charles and Princess Diana, pictured during a royal tour in Toronto, Canada. Photo / Getty Images

Prince Charles and Princess Diana, pictured during a royal tour in Toronto, Canada. Photo / Getty Images

Prince Charles and Princess Diana had a marriage that was infamously entangled in cheating scandals and covered the tabloids’ front pages for years.

Now, a royal source is turning everything on its head with an explosive claim: Diana cheated first.

An upcoming documentary, King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone, is premiering on May 2 on Paramount+ and will feature several ex-girlfriends and former royal staff opening up about the royal family and its secrets just a few days before the coronation on May 6.

A former royal protection officer who worked for the royals for nine years shared his views on Charles and Diana’s marriage, which ended in divorce in 1996, reports news.com.au.

Allan Peters revealed to the New York Post, “I can categorically say that the first person who strayed in the marriage was the Princess of Wales.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“[Charles] didn’t, until after he knew she had strayed. I’m speaking now about all this because I’ve said nothing for 40 years, and I’ve just listened to lies, silly stories, and it’s quite frustrating. There are only a few of us that can say what really happened,” he shared.

Diana, Princess Of Wales and her bodyguard Barry Mannakee, watching a polo match. Photo / Getty Images
Diana, Princess Of Wales and her bodyguard Barry Mannakee, watching a polo match. Photo / Getty Images

Peters opened up in the documentary about the Princess of Wales’ alleged affair with Barry Mannakee, her bodyguard, who later passed away at the age of 39 in a traffic accident in 1987.

Peters also says he observed Diana behaving “strangely” around her bodyguard, in terms of “what she wore, how she behaved and so forth”.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“It was clear that something had gone on,” he said. “As far as I could ascertain, they were having an affair.”

When Allan Peters had Mannakee transferred as a result of the pair’s sketchy behaviour, Princess Diana blew her top.

“[She was] throwing her shoes at the back of my head. She was distraught, and life was quite difficult for everybody,” he said.

Prince Charles, former Prince of Wales and Diana, former Princess of Wales with their sons Prince William and Prince Harry in the wildflower meadow at Highgrove. Photo / Getty Images
Prince Charles, former Prince of Wales and Diana, former Princess of Wales with their sons Prince William and Prince Harry in the wildflower meadow at Highgrove. Photo / Getty Images

Peters revealed that when Prince Charles came around questioning why Princess Diana was in such a state, Peters attempted to deflect.

“I didn’t want to explain. [Charles] said, ‘The only thing that seems to be upsetting her is that Barry is leaving … He can stay’. I felt the need to say, ‘He has to go’,” Peters recalls.

“I think at that point, the penny may have dropped as to what was happening. [Charles] never said another word, and turned and left.”

The documentary emphasises that the views shown in the series “represent the opinions of individuals and should not be interpreted as facts”.

And because both Princess Diana and Barry Mannakee passed away, the allegations cannot be authenticated.

However, Peters is adamant regarding the cheating timeline that resulted in Charles resuming his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles based on his time working for the royal family.

“[Charles] never told the truth,” says Peters, referring to his bombshell statement that Diana was the first one to have an affair. “He protected his sons from that.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

Advice: My husband has lost his lust for life (and sex) now that he’s on a weight-loss drug

New Zealand

Run the Forest to showcase Rotorua to thousands of visitors

New Zealand

Rhubarb rush: Waikato café sells out of 'hundreds' of pies after award win


Sponsored

Sponsored: What have you missed? Tips and tricks for home DIY

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Premium
Advice: My husband has lost his lust for life (and sex) now that he’s on a weight-loss drug
Lifestyle

Advice: My husband has lost his lust for life (and sex) now that he’s on a weight-loss drug

Telegraph: What happens when your partner becomes "boring to be around"?

07 Aug 06:57 AM
Run the Forest to showcase Rotorua to thousands of visitors
New Zealand

Run the Forest to showcase Rotorua to thousands of visitors

07 Aug 06:00 AM
Rhubarb rush: Waikato café sells out of 'hundreds' of pies after award win
New Zealand

Rhubarb rush: Waikato café sells out of 'hundreds' of pies after award win

07 Aug 05:00 AM


Sponsored: What have you missed? Tips and tricks for home DIY
Sponsored

Sponsored: What have you missed? Tips and tricks for home DIY

03 Aug 07:46 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP