PRINCE Philip signed his letters to Princess Diana "with fondest love, Pa" as he strived to make her feel accepted into the Royal Family.
Philip, who died on Friday aged 99, made a special effort to welcome Diana after she married Prince Charles in 1981.
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When Diana's marriage to Charles began to fail he started writing to his daughter-in-law and became a self-confessed "marriage counsellor".
The notes exchanged between the two royals lastedfrom June, 1992 until Diana and Charles's split in December, 1992.
Former former Royal butler Paul Burrell has claimed "did more trying to save Charles' marriage to Diana than his son."
The Duke of Edinburgh is said to have urged Charles to marry the young Lady Diana Spencer.
DEEP BOND
Philip often sat next to Diana at formal dinners in Balmoral and would engage her in conversation.
He is said to have confided to a friend that he and the Queen had "the highest hopes" for Charles and Diana, before trying to help with her disintegrating marriage to his eldest son.
In the frank exchange of letters between the duke and princess, which came to light at Diana's inquest after her death, Philip referred to himself and the Queen as "Pa and Ma".
Diana carried on calling the Queen ‘Ma-ma’, and Philip ‘Pa’ until she died in 1997.
Phillip reportedly picked up on Diana's concerns about Camilla Parker Bowles within a year of her marriage to Charles.
In one letter, Philip wrote: "I am quite ready to concede, I have no talent as a marriage counsellor.”
Diana is said to have told pals: "How many other wives would discuss their marital problems with their father-in-law instead of their husband?", the Daily Mail reports.
In another letter Philip wrote to Diana: "We do not approve of either of you having lovers. Charles was silly to risk everything with Camilla for a man in his position.
"We never dreamed he might feel like leaving you for her.
"I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind leaving you for Camilla. Such a prospect never even entered our heads."
One of Diana's letters to him began: ‘‘I was particularly touched by your most recent letter which proved to me, if I didn’t already know it, that you really do care.”
LETTER EXCHANGE
Philip also raised concerns about her bulimia and said it could have been responsible for some of her behavioural patterns.
But he was furious about claims in Andrew Morton's 1992 book that the Royal Family didn't care about her unhappiness.
That summer, Philip wrote to Diana: "Can you honestly look into your heart and say that Charles’s relationship with Camilla had nothing to do with your behaviour towards him in your marriage?"
In another letter, Philip told Diana that being married to a future King "involved much more than simply being a hero with the British people".
I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind leaving you for Camilla. Such a prospect never even entered our heads
As his views towards Diana turned, he felt she was upstaging the Queen during public appearances.
Philip is also said to have gone "ballistic" at Diana's BBC Panorama interview in 1995 where the Princess said "there were three of us in this marriage".
He was also angry that Diana claimed during the BBC chat that Charles wasn't suited to be king.
But he is said to have remained disappointed that his attempts to reconcile Diana and Charles failed.
Madame Lucia Flecha de Lima, who was married to the former Brazilian ambassador to London, and was a close pal of Diana, said a relationship grew between the princess and her father-in-law.
She said: "I personally read around half a dozen of the letters from Prince Philip. Diana let me see them. And although they were tough, it was clear to me he was trying to be constructive.
"They were warm and kind, courteous and helpful, like a father writing to a daughter.
"He drew on his own experiences. In one letter he wrote about how, when he and the Queen married, they thought they would have some years together living their own lives, but it was not to be and “Ma” was called to her duty, and he had to give up the career he loved."
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