Earl Spencer defends memoir claims about King Charles ahead of publication

Dispute over Diana memoir

Earl Spencer described writing his new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, as a duty as an eyewitness to history. Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg at his Althorp estate ahead of the book's release on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, Spencer explained that he wanted to establish a true record of events. The memoir serves as his final sign-off and celebration of his sister, who died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. Spencer remarked that sibling loss is something one never gets over, adding that he misses his sister every day. He also stated that Diana would be cheering from the rafters at the memoir, which airs as part of an interview programme titled Princess Diana: My Sister's Story on BBC One.

Phone call after the Paris crash

In the interview and book, Spencer recalled receiving communications from the royal family following the fatal crash in Paris. He took a telephone call at his residence in Cape Town from the then-Prince Charles, who conveyed how he had informed Princes William and Harry of their mother's death at Balmoral Castle. Spencer noted that he detected an unexpected lightness and what he called a giddy tone during the exchange, which conflicted with condolences from other callers. Spencer also alleged that during a subsequent dispute over whether William and Harry should walk in the funeral cortege, Charles said people would forget Diana soon enough. He characterised the remark as monstrous and noted that he told friends and family about the conversation at the time.

I felt there was a sort of giddy tone. I'd had a lot of calls that day from people who cared, who were stunned... and I just felt there was a lightness in his tone about Diana's death that really jarred with me.

Buckingham Palace response and gaslighting claim

Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, addressing the memoir's claims. The palace stated that although it does not comment on books as a matter of principle, King Charles is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement, and colour memory in ways others do not recognise. Spencer rejected the response, accusing the King of gaslighting him and describing the statement as astonishingly provocative and below the belt. He argued that the response attempted to imply he had lied without the King directly denying the allegations. Spencer also described the statement as a poor imitation of Queen Elizabeth II's recollections may vary response following Harry and Meghan's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Tabloid scrutiny of Harry and Meghan

Spencer drew explicit comparisons between the media scrutiny Diana endured and the press coverage directed at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. He recalled witnessing Diana's tears of despair and explained that she had been brought low by media criticism before her death. Prince Harry and Meghan returned to the United Kingdom from the United States on 26 August 2026, having stepped back from royal duties six years earlier. In July 2026, Prince Harry and six other figures, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, lost a High Court privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, following earlier legal victories against Mirror Group and News Group. Spencer stated that he remains equally supportive of both William and Harry, while warning of the destructive impact of continuous tabloid hostility.

I'm not here to speak for Harry and Meghan, but for anyone who's being destroyed in this way daily, it must be such a cancerous influence in their life.