Love-struck Diana was willing to move to Pakistan: Jemima Khan

safia@coastaldigest.com (PTI)
August 3, 2013

diana

London, Aug 3: Princess Diana was so "madly in love" with Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan that she wanted to marry him and was even willing to move to Pakistan, according to Jemima Khan.

Jemima, the former wife of Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and a friend of the late princess, has written a detailed account of their friendship in an article for the September issue of 'Vanity Fair' titled 'The Grandmother Prince George Never Knew'.

"Diana was madly in love with Hasnat Khan and wanted to marry him, even if that meant living in Pakistan, and that's one of the reasons why we became friends," she told the magazine.

"She wanted to know how hard it had been for me to adapt to life in Pakistan," she added, in reference to her own marriage to Imran Khan, which took her to Pakistan.

Jemima disclosed that Diana had visited her twice in Pakistan to help raise funds for the hospital where her former husband - a distant cousin of Diana's lover - worked.

"Both times she also went to meet his family secretly to discuss the possibility of marriage to Hasnat," she reveals.

Diana made every effort to get to know the surgeon's family but for a son to marry an Englishwoman "is every conservative Pashtun mother's worst nightmare", Jemima says in the article.

The couple are thought to have discussed the possibility of marriage. But Hasnat Khan apparently told her that "it was a ridiculous idea" and that the only way they could have a normal life would be to move to Pakistan, where the press "don't bother you". The surgeon reportedly revealed this in an interview to the police after Diana's death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

As her love affair with the doctor began to crumble, Diana began a new relationship with Dodi Al Fayed.

The source of her apparent frustration with the surgeon - his reluctance to marry - was no longer an issue with Al Fayed, who she reportedly believed was going to give her a ring.

She told close friend Rosa Monckton, the former managing director of Tiffany & Co, that the ring was "going firmly on my right hand".

However, according to Monckton, Diana talked much more about Khan than Al Fayed and that the princess pursued the relationship only to make the surgeon jealous.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 14,2025

indiapak.jpg

Despite a detailed rebuttal from the Narendra Modi government, U.S. President Donald Trump has, for the fourth consecutive day, claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan—an achievement he says prevented a conflict that “could have killed millions.”

Speaking at an investment forum in Riyadh, Trump remarked that the leaders of India and Pakistan could now even “go for a nice dinner” together, as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors had de-escalated.

“Just days ago, my administration successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan,” Trump said. “And I used trade to a large extent to do it. I told the leaders, ‘Fellows, come on. Let’s make a deal. Let’s do some trading.’”

His comments came even as New Delhi firmly rejected the notion that the United States had any role in mediating the ceasefire, which brought an end to nearly four days of cross-border hostilities. India also dismissed Trump’s claim that he used the threat of halting U.S. trade with both countries to pressure them into backing down.

“Let’s not trade nuclear missiles. Let’s trade the things you make so beautifully,” Trump said. “They both have very powerful, strong, smart leaders. And it all stopped. Hopefully, it’ll stay that way—but it stopped.”

Trump went on to praise Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, crediting him and others in his administration for their efforts.

“Marco, stand up. What a great job you did on that. Thank you,” Trump said. “Vice President JD Vance, Marco—the whole group worked hard. And I think [India and Pakistan] are actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together a little bit, Marco, where they go out and have a nice dinner together. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Trump continued, “We’ve come a long way. Millions of people could have died in that conflict. It started small and was getting bigger by the day.”

This marks the fourth day in a row—Saturday through Tuesday—that Trump has publicly asserted his administration’s role in defusing tensions between the two South Asian rivals, despite consistent denials from the Indian government.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 11,2025

pope.jpg

Appealing to the world's major powers for "no more war", Pope Leo on Sunday welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan and hoped negotiations can lead to lasting peace, reported Reuters. Pope Leo prayed god will give world 'miracle of peace'. 

Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, reportedly also called for peace in Ukraine, ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza in his first Sunday noon appeal since his election as pontiff.

The new pope was elected on May 8, succeeding Pope Francis who died on April 21. 

“Never again war!” Pope Leo said from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.

After over three days of intense exchange of fire, India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an ‘understanding’ to immediately stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea. The ceasefire, which was first announced by US President Donald Trump on Saturday, was violated by Pakistan hours later with drones being intercepted over parts of Jammu, Srinagar, Punjab and Rajasthan.

The military confrontation erupted after Islamabad launched drones and missiles towards the Indian territory, responding to the Operation Sindoor military strikes carried out by New Delhi on nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7.

Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which terrorists found to have links with Pakistan killed 26 civilians.

‘Third world war in pieces’

The 69-year-old Chicago-born missionary is the 267th pope and also the first American to hold the religious leadership title. 

Marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Leo echoed Pope Francis's words, condemning the many conflicts plaguing the world today as a “third world war in pieces.”

Pope Leo also noted that this Sunday was Mother's Day in many countries, extending warm wishes to all mothers — “including those in heaven.”

The atmosphere turned jubilant as the crowd, joined by marching bands visiting for the special Jubilee weekend, broke into cheers and music while the bells of St. Peter's Basilica rang out.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.