Letters from Diana, Princess of Wales to be auctioned off for National AIDS Trust ahead of World AIDS Day

Three signed letters written by Diana, Princess of Wales are to be auctioned off for HIV rights charity National AIDS Trust ahead of this year's World AIDS Day on Monday, 1 December.

Princess Diana made a significant contribution to National AIDS Trust in her role as patron of the charity from 1991 to 1997. It is one of only six charities she formally supported at the time of her death.

One of the letters in the auction reads "... On every day of the year, we have a continuing duty to protect those vulnerable to AIDS and to promote compassion for those whose lives it touches," while in another she laments the lack of a cure or a vaccine - "against this deadly threat, our main defences must therefore remain awareness, alertness and compassion."

Diana’s association with the National AIDS Trust remains one of the most powerful chapters in her humanitarian legacy. At a time when HIV and AIDS were shrouded in fear, stigma, and misinformation, Diana’s compassion and courage helped transform public perception and brought dignity to those affected.

In April 1987, Diana made headlines around the world when she opened the UK’s first dedicated HIV/AIDS ward at London’s Middlesex Hospital. In a moment that would become iconic, she shook hands with a patient - without gloves - challenging the widespread myth that HIV could be transmitted through touch.

Diana became patron of the National AIDS Trust in 1991, choosing to focus her efforts on just a handful of causes she felt most passionately about. Her involvement went far beyond ceremonial duties. She attended conferences, visited hospices, and supported fundraising events such as the Concert for Hope, which featured artists like George Michael and Take That.