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Earl Spencer claims in his memoir serialised by the Daily Mail that Prince Charles said shortly after Princess Diana’s death in 1997 that she would be forgotten "soon enough." This alleged comment came during a dispute over funeral arrangements where Charles reportedly questioned the decision for then-teenagers William and Harry to walk in their mother's funeral procession. Buckingham Palace declined to confirm or deny the claims but issued a statement suggesting grief could distort memory.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Charles Spencer, Diana's brother and the ninth Earl Spencer, has alleged in his upcoming memoir "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" that just days after Princess Diana’s death on September 8, 1997, he received a phone call from then-Prince Charles who told him, “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” This claim is made amid disputes over funeral arrangements for the princess, including whether Princes William and Harry, aged 15 and 12 at the time, should walk in their mother's funeral procession. Earl Spencer insisted Diana would not have wanted her young sons to endure such a public ordeal. In response, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying Charles is "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory," without directly addressing the specific claim but indicating it could be influenced by the passage of time.
Written for “Charles Diana Claims” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 14401: attributed speech only · logged 2026-09-17
It is alleged that the comment was by made by Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, over arrangement for Diana’s funeral where Prince William and Prince Harry, then aged 15 and 12, would walk in their mother’s funeral procession in September 1997.
asserted
William → allege → September
In response to the claims, made in a memoir of Diana’s brother Earl Spencer which is being serialised in the Daily Mail, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said Charles is “mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
uncertain
pain → make → grief
The statement reads: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
asserted
others → read → loss
Charles is said to have made the comments about his ex-wife in a row over funeral preparations and to have questioned the Spencer family’s sense of duty.
asserted
Charles → say → duty
The Earl says he insisted to the then Prince of Wales that Diana would not have wanted her young sons to have made the difficult public walk, it is claimed
According to the newspaper, Earl Spencer says the book – Swan Song: Diana, My Sister – has been written to correct “untruths” told about his older sister, who died in a Paris car crash in August 1997.
uncertain
who → say → August
According to a book excerpt, one of Queen Elizabeth II’s senior aides told him that William and Harry were to walk in the procession, prompting the Earl to state “that’s not going to happen”.
Charles called minutes later and told him that 18 years earlier he had walked in the funeral procession of his great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten, it is claimed.
uncertain
it → accord → uncle
The Earl pointed out that Charles had been 30 at the time of Lord Mountbatten’s funeral in 1979.
asserted
Charles → point → 1979
In an book excerpt, the Earl claims: “Prince Charles continued his stream of anger, without me interrupting.
uncertain
me → claim → anger
Then he stopped.
asserted
he → stop → ?
“I assumed the pause signalled an effort to bring himself under control, but then he unleashed down the phone what I have always taken to be his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death.
asserted
world → assume → death
‘Rest assured’, he hissed, ‘we’ll forget her soon enough!’”
asserted
we → rest → her
The Earl says he then hung up the phone.
asserted
he → say → phone
William, Harry, Charles, Prince Philip and the Earl walked behind Diana’s coffin in a funeral procession through central London to the funeral service at Westminster Abbey.
asserted
William → walk → Abbey
Read More
The Earl then delivered a passionate eulogy at Diana’s funeral, pledging the princess’ “blood family” would protect William and Harry “so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition, but can sing openly as you planned”.
asserted
you → read → duty
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