This was perhaps not for the best reasons, though.
At one point, theBBCeven noted that his involvement with Diana had made him a “social outcast.”
Indeed, a lot of trouble has followed him.
But there’s more to him than just these controversies.
He is also a military veteran and an experienced horse rider and polo player.
What exactly went on behind the scenes?
The conflicting accounts of their relationship make the quest for the truth a difficult one.
James Hewitt was raised in Devon
James Hewitt was born on April 30, 1958.
“I was brought up in Devon.
“I was lucky enough to spend my childhood in a happy and close-knit family,” Hewitt shared.
Stamp, Hewitt’s mother, was a dental surgeon who also used to run a riding school.
Though Hewitt wasn’t very strong academically, he excelled in sports.
When he attended Millfield School, his headmaster, Jack Meyer, discovered that he had dyslexia.
“[It] would give me a chance of soldiering in London,” Hewitt explained.
He proceeded to become a cavalry officer for the British Army.
What started out innocent slowly blossomed into something else.
“One thing went wrong we fell in love,” Hewitt wrote in his bookLove and War.
Eventually, the princess confided her feelings for Hewitt to Wharfe.
Their first conversation felt natural, she said, and it was this that sparked her attraction.
As time passed, Hewitt realized the true nature of their riding lessons.
Hewitt was someone who provided comfort for Princess Diana during a difficult time.
“In 1986, her marriage to Prince Charles was over in all but name,” Hewitt wrote.
“That autumn, I spent a lot of time with Diana giving her riding lessons.
We fell in love and contrived to see as much of each other as possible.”
Being in an affair with the princess involved a lot of sneaking around.
He was part of Operation Desert Storm, where he served as a tank commander.
Because Hewitt often had to fly overseas, his job in the military started to affect their affair.
““Diana felt betrayed: He had chosen his career over her.
When James refused to give up his career, Diana let the affair wane.”
In the end, both his military career and his relationship with Princess Diana suffered.
“I did have to resign from the Officers' Club and The Life Guards Association.
This wasn’t received well by the military, and eventually led to his discharge.
This was a move Hewitt later came to regret.
“I made a big mistake in speaking.
“Yes, I was in love with him.
But I was very let down,” she said.
According to Hewitt, a leak in his credit card company allowed journalists to find him wherever he was.
He detailed these events in his book “A Love Like No Other Diana and Me.”
Hewitt was extremely depressed at this point and wanted to attempt suicide.
“If she hadn’t, I would have probably shot myself.
So I owe her my life, really,” Hewitt said.
He opens the book expressing regret about his affair with the late princess.
“I loved Diana.
I love her still.
The book reads like an autobiography, focusing heavily on his relationship with Princess Diana and his military career.
Those letters and greeting cards were reportedly valued at $150,000 back in 2015.
As he told"Good Morning America,““I was approached and was offered a substantial sum.
I was intrigued to see if it was possible to achieve this.
So in the end, I suppose, yes, I am willing to sell.”
“I did those shows for a reason,” Hewitt explained.
“I wasn’t about to give in to the papers without a fight.
As an ex-Army officer, I set about trying to achieve something and achieved it.”
Shortly after his retirement in 1994, he invested in a driving range in London that eventually closed down.
“I wanted to start afresh,” the retired cavalry officer told The Telegraph in 2009.
“London became like living in a goldfish bowl,” he explained.
“I’ve let go of England, but I do wish it all the best.
The Polo House was operational for four years until its closure in 2013.
“He had a preexisting illness, then got seriously ill.
Though the odds seemed slim at the time, he was able to survive and was later discharged.
Since the closure of The Polo House in 2013, James Hewitt has kept a relatively low profile.
Hewitt never married or had any children, though it’s something he wanted for a time.
It didn’t help that King Charles would joke about it, too.
Hewitt has gone on record numerous times to deny the claims, but the story keeps getting picked up.
“When I met Diana, Harry was already a toddler.”
