THE Princess of Wales is understood to be considering the terms of her divorce from the Prince of Wales this weekend and the couple are likely to make a joint statement on their formal intention to divorce early next week.
Princess Diana, who will be looking over a financial settlement of £15 million to £20 million, is said to have met her lawyer, Mr Anthony Julius, yesterday, to discuss the prince's offer.
Mr Julius said that "proper consideration will be given to the proposals that have been made" about the title "Her Royal Highness", but both sides are refusing to comment on the settlement details. These will remain confidential at Queen Elizabeth's request, while reports that she believes a divorced princess should continue to be addressed as "HRH" appear to be unfounded. The princess may be known in future as, "Diana, Princess of Wales."
If Princess Diana agrees to the terms, she is likely to be paid a lump sum of £12 million with the remainder paid by Prince Charles from a loan, thought to be underwritten by Queen Elizabeth. This aspect of the settlement is under stood to have been at the core of nearly three months negotiations between the legal teams.
While he would have preferred a "drip feed" annual allowance from his income as the Duke of Cornwall, it now seems that Prince Charles has offered a one off settlement, to bring negotiations to a swift end.
While Prince Charles receives an annual income of nearly £5 million from the Duchy of Cornwall, he cannot sell any Duchy assets as they are held in trust for future heirs to the throne.
As part of an eventual settlement, Princess Diana is expected to continue living at Kensington Palace, although she is unlikely to retain an office at St James's Palace, close to the prince's apartments.
A future role for Princess Diana as a good will ambassador for Britain must first be sanctioned by Downing Street and the Foreign Office. Sources at Downing Street have said any public role and the status of overseas visits would have to be given careful consideration by Buckingham Palace.
The Prime Minister, Mr Major said yesterday that the royal divorce settlement was not a matter propose to comment on. I think everyone will be happy when this matter is satisfactorily concluded."