PRINCESS Diana shared the agony of her marr­iage split in a secret tape of a call with George Michael.

She told the pop superstar the break-up was “grim” and the Royal Family was “not very loving”.

17 Princess Diana shared the agony of her bitter divorce to close pal and pop legend George Michael Credit: All Action

The phone chat was recorded during her divorce battle with Prince Charles but has only now emerged.

As well as complaining about the pain of her bitter divorce battle with Prince Charles, she joined George in taking the mickey out of flamboyant pop idol Sir Elton John.

The Princess of Wales took a potshot at the royals and swapped cheeky gossip during an intimate phone chat with George Michael.

A previously unheard tape of the call reveals her joking about the Careless Whisper singer “playing gooseberry” during a visit to Elton and his partner David Furnish.

And she is heard likening pal Sir Elton’s enormous shoe collection to that of footwear-mad former Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos after it was featured on a TV show.

Diana spoke with George in July 1996 after he rang to wish her happy birthday.

17 Princess Diana blasted the Royal Family as 'not very loving' in the secret tape Credit: Rex Features

17 The secret recording of the call reveals for the first time how the pop icon became Diana's closest confidante

17 The recording - made in 1996 - was recorded during her divorce battle with Prince Charles Credit: Rex Features

17 The recording also reveals the close pals poking fun at mutual friend Sir Elton John Credit: AP:Associated Press

He was high after smoking a cannabis joint.

The singer’s call was recorded by an answering machine at his home in Hampstead, North London, and reveals for the first time how he became Diana’s closest confidant during her marriage break-up.

George gave the tape to his childhood pal Andros Georgiou, who was in the house with the singer during his chat with Diana.

Andros, 55, explained: “George handed me the tape and said, ‘Here’s your retirement present’.”

Diana, who was killed at just 36 in a car crash the following year, is heard telling George about her break-up, saying: “It’s been pretty grim, but we’re near the end of it.

“Not a very loving, compassionate family, this one I’m leaving.”

The troubled princess first met ex-Wham! star George backstage at a concert in 1989 and grew close to him as her marriage collapsed.

She went on to pour her heart out to him in a series of private meetings and phone calls.

Her words in the taped conversation give a rare insight into the agony she suffered — and the heavy toll taken by intense legal meetings as she and Charles tangled over the terms of their divorce.

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Diana is heard telling George: “I’m going to get three quarters of what I want and the quarter he can’t have, so there you go.”

George says: “I’d love to see you.”

But the princess hesitates before rep­lying: “George, can I wait until this has all quietened down?

“Just lawyers. You know what they’re like.”

She then adds: “It’s OK, it’s all very grown-up.”

Diana, who had long idolised George, says she saw him in a TV docum­entary on Sir Elton tit­led Tantrums And Tiaras.

17 Diana told the pop superstar the break-up from Prince Charles was 'grim' Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

17 The pop legend was said to be smoking cannabis during the phone call Credit: Getty - Contributor

17 The pair first met at a concert in 1989 but grew extremely close during the collapse of her marriage Credit: Rex Features

17 The close pals would regularly share gossipy conversations over the phone

17 The Princess of Wales went to pour her heart out to him in a series of private meeting and phone calls Credit: Tim Graham - Getty

The princess had watched the fly-on-the-wall film the night before, while George had been in­vited to Elton’s home to view it with him and Furnish.

Diana is heard laughing about the star “playing gooseberry”.

And George tells her: “I must admit I was kind of horrified. I thought it was very entertaining — I laughed my head off all the way through.

"But how are people going to react? We all know him, you know, his lifestyle, but they don’t see all that detail, do they?”

Diana replies: “I know. The moving wardrobe was quite ex­c­essive. That got me.”

17 Pals Elton John and George Michael at The 66th Annual Academy Awards AIDS Foundation party in 1994 Credit: Getty - Contributor

17 The Princess is heard laughing to George about him 'playing gooseberry' to Elton John and his partner Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

17 The pair discussed their love lives with one another Credit: Rex Features

George adds: “And that shot they had in of his stuff in Atlanta with those hundreds of rows of shoes and everything.”

The pair both laugh as Diana then quips: “Imelda Marcos eat your heart out.”

The princess also asks George if life is treating him “kind­ly”.

When he replies he is “in love”, she says poignantly: “Oh lucky you, lucky you.”

The tape of their chat had been kept in a safety deposit box since George — found dead at 53 last Christmas Day — gave it to Andros.

Shortly after the late-night natter, Diana’s divorce proceedings drew to a close, with both sides formally agreeing a settlement.

The princess was awarded a £17.5million lump sum, but stripped of the title Her Royal Highness.

17 George passed on the recording of the phone call to his childhood pal Andros Georgiou (pictured), who was in the popstar's house during the phone call Credit: Kevin Dunnett - The Sun

17 Princess Diana chatting to Elton John and George Michael at the 'Feed the World' Live Aid concert Credit: Getty - Contributor

It was seen as a final pointed snub by the royals, who Diana said “never liked her” from the start.

Andros met Diana with George several times — and said it was clear that the princess had found his pop star pal attractive.

Andros said: “She invited George to Kensington Palace for what she called ‘a chinwag’.

“He said she made a point of touching his arm and her hello and goodbye hugs lingered.

George told me, ‘Nothing happened, but it could have. If I wasn’t gay, I would’.

“Instead they became very close friends. She often confided in him about how unhappy she was with Charles during their meetings.”

17 Princess Diana long idolised George Michael Credit: Rex Features

Andros went on: “They had a very honest friendship. On his third visit to Kensington Palace, they drank a bottle of wine tog­e­ther and George was so drunk she offered him a room for the night.

“This was about two years before she and Charles officially separated.

“She told him their marriage had been an arranged one and that, as she’d been so young, she’d no real idea of what she was getting into.

“Although Camilla was never mentioned by name, she confided that Charles didn’t love her as he was ‘still in love with his ex’.

“Diana loved being a mother and lit up when she spoke about William and Harry, but said she had never felt like a wife. She was obviously very unhappy and we both felt desperately sorry for her.

“She was such a special, lovely person and she should have got that love back.”

17 George Michael and Elton John at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 Credit: AFP

Diana last met George months before the tape was recorded — at a private dinner party at Sir Elton’s home in Windsor.

And Andros, who attended with George, went on: “After the separation in 1992, she seemed far ­happier for a time. But the pain of the divorce still lay ahead.

“She told George months before it was made public they’d go to the High Court. She didn’t want to, but told him she couldn’t live like this.

“Her words were, ‘This isn’t what I bought into’. Just before it went to court, they had another conversation on the phone and George said she was very tearful.

“She knew what she was facing — and didn’t want to face it. But she felt like a prisoner and she knew it was her only way out. She was desperate to live her own life and she needed to break free.

“It was such a sad situation for such a good person to be in.”

After he revealed the existence of the taped phone chat, Andros was contacted by representatives of tycoon Mohamed Fayed.

They revealed the 88-year-old Harrods boss was hoping it may shed light on the death of Diana and his son Dodi. Andros said: “He flew me and my dad from LA to London so he could hear it.

“Sadly for him, the tape didn’t have any of the clues he hoped for. It’s just an incredible piece of history that gives an insight into the friendship between Princess Diana and George — royalty and pop royalty.”