Princess Diana was famous for her caring visits to hospitals, where she spread happiness and hope to those who needed it.
But one of those visits became something much bigger — a secret love affair that lasted for years.
It was 1995 – just two months before the famous Panorama interview that changed Diana’s life forever. You might recall that interview, where Princess Diana opened up about her mental health struggles and the difficulties in her marriage, winning the world’s sympathy.
Two months before that interview, Diana met a charming doctor, a Muslim whose striking looks reminded people of the actor Omar Sharif.
The handsome heart surgeon, Dr. Hasnat Khan, worked at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. But how did this unexpected couple come together?
Well, it turns out that Joe Toffolo, the patient who had surgery, was married to Oonagh Shanley-Toffolo, an Irish nun and acupuncturist who was a close friend of Princess Diana.
After her first visit, Diana went back to the hospital nearly every day for three weeks, excited to get to know the charming surgeon. The chemistry was undeniable.
She smoked cigarettes and was a fan of KFC.
Looking back at all the pictures of Diana at the hospital, it’s officially said that she was there to lift the spirits of sick kids or to promote awareness for cystic fibrosis.
That’s definitely true. But she also had her own reasons. Deep down, her motivations were very personal. At 35, Diana had found a reason to be happy again.
When Diana and Khan began dating, it was her most serious relationship since she split from Prince Charles three years before.
(Photo by Stan Karczmarz/Sygma via Getty Images)
However, it was wrapped in mystery. Very few people were aware of their growing romance, which seemed unlikely at first. Dr. Khan, who was 37 at the time, was a heart surgeon that was overweight and smoked a pack of cigarettes daily,
He loved going to late-night jazz clubs and eating Kentucky Fried Chicken — a surprising match for the Princess of Wales.
But this didn’t deter Diana.
“He’s incredibly handsome,” Diana reportedly said to Oonagh Toffolo.
Secret communications
To keep their relationship hidden, Diana cleverly disguised her messages for Khan, using the name “Dr. Armani.” They met in secret, often in unusual places to avoid being seen.
On one occasion, Diana wore a black wig to sneak into Ronnie Scott’s, a well-known jazz club in Soho. In another case, Khan hid in the trunk of a car to get into Kensington Palace, with help from Diana’s loyal butler, Paul Burrell.
Their love grew even during casual outings.
One day, when Diana was feeling down, Khan took her to a pub near Harefield Hospital where he used to work. The name? The Prince of Wales.
“He remembered her finding it really funny,” he said with a laugh.
Diana was so in love that she even asked her butler to look for a priest who could marry them, even though Khan was Muslim. Their relationship grew stronger as they spent time together, laughing and learning about each other’s lives.
Diana was said to have read books about Islam and loved a picture of “my handsome doctor.” She even went to visit Khan’s family in Lahore, Pakistan, where she embraced their traditions and had a lovely afternoon tea.
Met William and Harry
Things got more serious in this fast-paced romance when Diana introduced Khan to her sons, William and Harry.
She called him “Mr. Wonderful” and her butler Burrell said she thought of Khan as her soulmate. Diana’s friends mentioned that he was “the love of her life” and she felt really sad when their relationship ended.
But like many love stories, theirs had some bumps along the way.
The growing pressure from the media started to affect their relationship. Diana was used to being in the spotlight, but for Khan, all the attention was really overwhelming.
He worried that being open about their relationship could hurt his career.
They talked about different options, like moving to Pakistan — which almost happened. They also considered moving to Australia or South Africa, but nothing ever happened. According to The Guardian, Diana wanted to be recognized publicly, but Khan was hesitant, which led to a sad ending: their romance finished in July 1997.
Khan learns about Dodi.
Just a month later, something terrible happened. In the early morning of August 31, 1997, Diana died in a car accident in Paris, along with her partner Dodi Fayed and their driver, Henri Paul.
Khan was shocked to hear about Diana’s relationship with Dodi, finding out only after it was made public. “When I found out, I was really mad; mad as hell,” he said in a 2012 interview.
Khan went to her funeral at Westminster Abbey.
The shadow of her sad death still hangs over him. “Sometimes I feel like screaming,” Khan said, thinking about the emotional struggle. “There have been really tough times. I have moved on, but it keeps coming back.”
Even with the sadness, Khan remembers Diana with affection: “We all have our flaws, but I thought she was a very normal person with great qualities and some personal issues, like bad habits.”
Hasnat Khan today
In 2006, Khan got married to Hadia Sher Ali, a 28-year-old woman from Afghan royalty, but they divorced two years later.
He now lives in the UK, still working as a heart surgeon and helping with humanitarian projects in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Looking back on his life, Khan said: “It is very good to be home. I feel quite relieved to be home. My blood pressure is stable—I go fishing, I go for walks. It feels like a sanctuary. It’s very peaceful.”
Even though the love story between Princess Diana and Dr. Hasnat Khan was brief, it is still an interesting part of her life, showing how complicated love can be when faced with royal responsibilities and public attention.
As we remember the Princess, we celebrate not just her legacy, but also the love she had with a man who recognized her as a normal person with amazing qualities.
