PRINCESS DIANA’S LOVER FIGHTS FOR LIFE
PRINCESS Diana’s former lover James Hewitt is recovering in hospital after suffering a shock heart attack and a stroke.
The former Army officer was said by doctors to have had only a “slim chance of survival” after undergoing emergency surgery.
But the 59-year-old is recovering and is expected to remain at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital for several weeks.
A fortnight ago he was taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth for specialist care.
A relative, who did not wish to be named, said: “The family were concerned. He had a pre-existing illness, then got seriously ill.
“Suddenly it got very critical and he was rushed to hospital.
“It was pretty serious but hopefully we are okay now.
Affair
“He is recovering and has been moved to Exeter.”
Mr Hewitt had a five-year affair with the princess during her marriage to Prince Charles.
He was last seen two weeks ago enjoying the Bicton Arena Horse Trials in Devon.
He previously broke his silence to deny he was Prince Harry’s father in a television interview in March.
When pressed, he said: “No, I’m not.”
He added: “It sells papers. It’s worse for him, probably, poor chap.”
The former officer painted a picture of enjoying a simple life with the princess at his farm in Devon.
He said: “Well, I’d cook and she’d wash up. Just dinner and relaxing and laughing.”
He revealed he fell in love with her and added: “It’s a gradual period and then, you know, suddenly you can’t get enough of each other or see each other as much as you want.”
Mr Hewitt said he had no second thoughts about the relationship and added: “No, I don’t regret that.
“I regret some of the things that have been caused by that but not that at all. No way.
“I think she was quite easy to fall in love with really so I think I can be forgiven for that.”
The couple were forced apart when he was sent to serve in the 1991 Gulf War in Iraq and news of their affair came to light.
An iconic picture (right) was taken of Diana presenting the Life Guards officer with a polo trophy – three years after they met at a London party in 1986, when she was 25 and he was 28.
Mr Hewitt invested half of the £60,000 he received on leaving the Army in a golf driving range in the City of London and lost it.
Later a riding school venture also failed.
Wrangle
He then sparked uproar by trying to seek £10million for more than 60 letters the princess wrote to him while he was serving in the Gulf War, which caused a legal wrangle with her family.
A decision was reached that the letters were his but the words were Diana’s copyright.
Mr Hewitt now lives in a twobedroom flat with his widowed mother Shirley in Exeter.
His return to the UK followed the failure of his restaurant and club Polo House on Marbella’s Golden Mile in Spain’s Costa del Sol.
A Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital spokesman refused to comment on Mr Hewitt’s condition.