Princess Diana’s former lover Oliver Hoare dies at 73

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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