British police yesterday arrested the former fiancee of Mr James Hewitt over the alleged theft of letters written to him by Princess Diana during their fiveyear relationship.
Ms Anna Ferretti (39), was arrested and taken to Waterloo International police station in London when police officers believed she was about to leave Britain for France.
Her arrest comes after several days of revelations in the Mirror newspaper about the alleged theft of the letters from the safe of Mr Hewitt's home in Devon while he was on holiday in Spain.
The 62 letters, many of which were written on blue airmail paper and signed "D", were kept by Mr Hewitt after his relationship with the princess ended and despite her apparent requests for him to destroy them. Most of the letters were sent to Mr Hewitt during a three-week period in January 1991 when he served with the British army as a tank commander in the Gulf.
The princess wrote to him frequently, often as much as three times a day, when their affair was at its height.
In yesterday's Mirror, Ms Ferretti was reported as saying she regretted having attempted to sell the letters. "I now see how stupid I have been," she said. And requests by Princess Diana for Mr Hewitt to burn the letters were also widely reported.
The Mirror claimed that in one letter to Mr Hewitt she wrote: "Please can you burn my letters after reading them now in case they get into the wrong hands - please!"
In another letter, she pointed out: "Remember you said you would burn my letters."
The Mirror also claimed this week that Ms Ferretti, the widow of the Italian fashion designer, Alberto Ferretti, had asked for £150,000 in return for the letters. Ms Ferretti claimed that she had wanted to sell the letters before Mr Hewitt decided that he would do so.
However, in an elaborate "sting", the Mirror persuaded Ms Ferretti to hand over the letters on April 1st and immediately passed them on to Kensington Palace.
Kensington Palace has refused to comment on the developments. But it is understood that a legal question remains over the ownership of the letters.
While the copyright of the letters belongs to the princess's estate and they are now being held at Kensington Palace, Mr Hewitt has claimed ownership.
He was reported as saying this week that he wanted Kensington Palace to return the letters. "I consider all of them to be my own private property.
"They have been taken from my home by someone without my permission which, as far as I am concerned, is straightforward theft. I will now pursue my rights through the normal channels."
But, he added: "I have made it clear that I have never intended to sell or publish the contents of these letters. They remain a very precious part of my own life and represent a very personal time."
Despite the claims, it is widely believed that in 1994 Mr Hewitt co-operated with the journalist, Ms Anna Pasternak, who wrote the book Diana, Princess in Love. The author appears to have drawn on the exchanges between Mr Hewitt and Princess Diana described in her letters to him during their affair.
Lawyers said yesterday that although the letters did belong to Mr Hewitt, if the princess's estate refused to hand them back he would have to bring legal action.
Mr Brian Hepworth said: "From a legal standpoint he has every right to ask. But if they were handed back, the estate solicitors would simply take out an injunction banning publication."