Princess Diana insisted on taking her 'secret mascot' sex toy with her on all foreign visits as a good luck charm 

  • Princess Diana's former bodyguard made the shock revelation in his book
  • He claims the toy, known as 'Le Gaget', was bought on a 'staff night out'
  • Ken Wharfe then persuaded Diana's sister to hide it in her handbag 
  • He wrote in his book that she 'loved pranks 'and thought it was 'hilarious'

By Abe Hawken For Mailonline

Published: 05:03 EST, 13 August 2016 | Updated: 07:52 EST, 13 August 2016

Princess Diana arrived in Paris with her bodyguard Ken Wharfe in November 1992

Princess Diana arrived in Paris with her bodyguard Ken Wharfe in November 1992

Princess Diana had a 'secret mascot' in the form of a sex toy which she took with her on all overseas trips as a good luck charm, her former bodyguard has revealed.

Royal protection officer Ken Wharfe said the marital aid - which was referred to as 'Le Gaget', or 'the gadget' - was purchased on a 'wild staff night out' in Paris in 1992.

Mr Wharfe claims he then persuaded Diana's sister Sarah McCorquodale to hide the sex toy in the Princess of Wales' bag the next day.

The shock revelation was made by Mr Wharfe in the new edition of his book Diana: Closely Guarded Secret.

Mr Wharfe, who gave a detailed insight into the Royal Family, also described how Prince William and Harry would joke around and ask if he wanted to 'fight'.

And during the new version of his book, he added that the Princess 'loved pranks and practical jokes' and thought the toy was 'hilarious' before she quickly made it her 'secret mascot for foreign trips'.

The former bodyguard even claims she once forgot to bring it along to a trip to Nepal after leaving it in a drawer at Kensington Palace.

But she was so adamant that it was her lucky charm, Mr Wharfe claims she had it flown over from London in a diplomatic bag to the British Embassy in the South Asian country. 

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The Princess arrived at Cafe Royal in London with her detective Ken Wharfe in June 1993
She was with him at Thorpe Park in 1993

The Princess arrived at Cafe Royal in London with Ken Wharfe in June 1993 (left) and was pictured with him at Thorpe Park in Surrey during the same year (right)

He wrote that she attached 'almost superstitious importance' to the object and that Diana told him 'You know everything will go wrong without it'. 

It was then delivered to the King of Nepal on a silver tray by a gurkha aide and the Princess reportedly said 'Oh, that must be for me' during a press conference and started to laugh. 

In an extract from his book, he wrote: 'Diana loved pranks and practical jokes, and one of the most uproarious involved an item purchased on a wild staff night out in Paris, during her official visit to France in November 1992.

'We all referred to it as 'Le Gaget', or the gadget — in fact, it was a sex toy.

'I had persuaded Lady Sarah McCorquodale, her sister and acting lady-in-waiting during the trip, to secrete it in Diana's handbag the next morning. 

'The Princess discovered it while going through her bag, between meetings with the French president Jacques Chirac and Paul McCartney.

The Princess of Wales talked to staff at the Hammersmith and Fulham Druglink centre in April 1993, with Ken Wharfe in the background 

The Princess of Wales talked to staff at the Hammersmith and Fulham Druglink centre in April 1993, with Ken Wharfe in the background 

Inspector Ken Wharfe and his wife Rosemary were at Buckingham Palace after he was made a member of the Royal Victorian Order by The Queen

Inspector Ken Wharfe and his wife Rosemary were at Buckingham Palace after he was made a member of the Royal Victorian Order by The Queen

'Far from being offended, she thought it very funny, and from that moment Le Gaget became her secret mascot on all royal visits abroard. 

'She attached almost superstitious importance to it and, when we arrived in Nepal the following March, she turned to me and said: "I hope we've got Le Gaget, Ken. You know everything will go wrong without it".

'Much to her consternation, I had to admit it had been left in a drawer at Kensington Palace. 

'A telephone call was made and a secretary instructed to dispatch the vibrator by diplomatic bag to the British Embassy in Nepal. 

Mr Wharfe was photographed arriving at the inquest into the death of Princess Diana at the High Court in London 

Mr Wharfe was photographed arriving at the inquest into the death of Princess Diana at the High Court in London 

His book continues: 'It arrived in a sealed packet, delivered on a silver tray by a gurkha aide to the King of Nepal, during a press reception at the ambassador's official residence.

'The Princess was preparing to meet the media in the gardens when the package was handed to Diana's equerry, Captain Ed Musto of the Royal Marines — who made the ill-advised decision to open the packet and remove the offending item, in front of all the guests (but, mercifully, not in view of the world's Press). 

'There was a stunned silence. Then the Princess said: "Oh, that must be for me" and started to laugh. 

'Captain Musto graciously slipped Le Gaget into his pocket, and the embassy dignitaries were far too diplomatic to make any comment. There were a few bemused glances, though.'

 

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