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In a never-before-seen image of the card sent to David Butler by the late Princess of Wales, she playfully signed it off “from Duch and Charles”.
The 1986 card, sent before the breakdown of the late 36-year-old’s marriage to Prince Charles, now 69, was shared on Twitter and read: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year and lots of love from the four of us, Duch and Charles.”
Mr Butler had uploaded it onto social media with the caption: “Very unusual to see Diana use her nickname on a christmas card!”
‘Duch’ was a childhood nickname for the young Diana who was called it by her family and schoolmates.
The name stuck with her throughout her adult life, as revealed in the 2005 book Diana Princess of Wales by Beatrice Gormley, who also wrote that her school pals had initially called her Di.
But Ms Gormley told in the book how the young royal hated it.
Ms Gormley said: “Diana was usually friendly and good-natured, but not when she was called Di. ‘Say that again’, she told her schoolmates, ‘and you die. I am Duchess. Duch’.
“Later in the year, Diana took part of a Dutch doll in the school play. She was too shy to speak in front of an audience, but the Dutch doll wasn’t supposed to say anything.
“When it was her turn, Diana moved around the stage with stiff movements just like a doll and everyone clapped for her. Now the nickname Duch seemed to fit her even better.”
The Christmas card itself featured a beautiful portrait of the family with Diana dressed in a powder blue cardigan and skirt with a white shirt and gold earrings. On her lap is their dog.
Prince Charles meanwhile, is pictured in a royal blue jumper and black trousers as he holds their young sons William and Harry, both photographed in matching shirts, tank tops and red shoes and shorts.
The family are all smiles in the image which shows them all huddled together in front of a white marble fireplace.
Days ago on August 31, Prince William and Harry mourned the 21st anniversary of their mother’s death in private.
She was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 along with her lover Dodi Fayad, 42. Their driver, Henri Paul, was also killed.
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