Charles Spencer announces memoir on Princess Diana ahead of 30th anniversary

Memoir announcement and publication schedule

Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, announced on 18 August 2026 that he will publish a personal biography about his sister titled "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister". The book is scheduled for worldwide release on 22 September 2026, with preorders opening across retail stores on 25 August 2026. The 472-page volume covers Diana's life as well as the week following her death on 31 August 1997, when she died at age 36 in a car crash in Paris alongside Dodi al-Fayed. Spencer, who is 62 years old, previously worked as a journalist, authored nine non-fiction books and a memoir, and served as a member of the House of Lords.

Spencer's motivation and Westminster Abbey speech

Ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana's death, Spencer stated that he received a wave of interview requests that motivated him to document his own recollections directly. He noted that widespread narratives about his sister have incorporated inaccuracies over the past three decades.

This has convinced me to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all, rather than having the discomfort of again reading the opinions of others, many of which are based on untruths that have become accepted over time.

Spencer described the project as an extension of the eulogy he delivered in September 1997 at Westminster Abbey, where he addressed the royal family and media scrutiny while Diana's sons, Prince William (then 15) and Prince Harry (then 12), attended the service.

The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother's perspective, just as I attempted to do when speaking at her funeral. As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana's behalf and do so in an openly positive way.

Spencer added that he hopes readers unfamiliar with Diana's life will see her as a dynamic individual full of love, charisma, and self-doubt who left the world in a better condition. Diana married the future King Charles III in 1981, divorced in 1996, and would have turned 65 on 1 July 2026.

Global rollout and publisher agreements

The memoir is being published in the United Kingdom by Penguin Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and in the United States and Canada by Penguin Press. International rights have been licensed in 12 languages, including French through Flammarion, Italian through Mondadori at a retail price of 25 euros, and Portuguese in Brazil through Companhia das Letras. Simultaneous English-language distribution is scheduled for Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, and Ireland.

Daniel Bunyard, publishing director at Penguin Random House UK, described the work as a lasting tribute that incorporates new revelations about the late princess.

While these pages contain many revelations that will draw considerable attention, readers will find, for the first time, but also for all time, a fitting tribute to the beloved woman who was Princess Diana.

Media retrospectives for the 30th anniversary

The book release coincides with broader media projects scheduled ahead of the 30th anniversary in 2027. A three-part documentary series titled "Diana: The Unheard Truth" is also scheduled for broadcast in 2027, featuring approximately five hours of archival audio recorded in 1991 in which Diana discusses her marriage, family relationships, and the royal household.