Earl Spencer’s new memoir alleges that Prince Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” after Diana’s death in 1997, a claim Buckingham Palace strongly denies. The palace stated it was an unusual move to comment on the book, focusing on how grief can distort memory and judgment. On Thursday, King Charles addressed tech leaders about AI’s potential dangers, while other royals are scheduled for official engagements in response to the controversy.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b 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, alleges in his upcoming memoir "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" that then-Prince Charles said days after her death, “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough,” during a phone call about funeral arrangements. The allegation sparked significant debate within the Royal Family. In September 1997, six days after Diana's fatal car crash in Paris, Earl Spencer insisted Diana’s young sons, William (aged 15) and Harry (aged 12), should not walk behind her coffin, as Charles reportedly wanted them to do. Buckingham Palace responded by stating that King Charles is "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason" and affect memory even years later. The Earl’s book aims to correct what he perceives as misconceptions about his sister, with this revelation being a central claim against the late Princess's ex-husband, now King Charles III.
Written for “Charles Response To Diana Claims” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 25 other(s) covering the same event.
Earl Spencer’s new memoir alleges Charles told him “we’ll forget her soon enough” after Diana’s death in 1997 – a claim Buckingham Palace has rejected by saying “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
uncertain
pain → allege → reason
In the book – Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, serialised in the Daily Mail – the earl claims that Charles, then the Prince of Wales, subjected him to a “stream of anger” after he insisted Diana would not have wanted Princes William and Harry, then aged 15 and 12, to walk in her funeral procession.
uncertain
William → serialise → procession
There was no further reference to the row as the King warned of the “existential dangers” of AI systems falling into the wrong hands, as he addressed tech leaders in Edinburgh on Thursday.
asserted
he → be → Thursday
Commenting after the excerpts were published on Wednesday, a palace spokesman said: “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 → comment → loss
The royal commentator said: “It’s unprecedented as far as I can think.
asserted
I → say → ?
It’s very unusual, let’s say.
asserted
’s → ’ → ?
“I imagine it’s because the King was very upset and wanted to set the record straight – more on behalf of his sons than anything else.”
asserted
King → imagine → anything
The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke of Sussex are also set to carry out engagements following the rare step taken by the palace.
asserted
Prince → set → palace
Charles addressed bosses from some of the world’s leading AI developers – Nvidia, Anthropic and OpenAI – about the future of artificial intelligence.
asserted
Charles → address → intelligence
He told a summit at Dumfries House the new technology should be in the “service of humanity, community and the natural world”.
asserted
technology → tell → humanity
Diana’s son William and his wife Kate, who also hold the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, are set to make their first official visit to Isle of Bute.
asserted
who → hold → Bute
The day is set to include visiting their namesake town of Rothesay and follows their visits to the Isles of Mull and Iona last year.
asserted
day → set → Mull
The Duke of Sussex is also expected to make his first public appearance after he, along with his wife the Duchess of Sussex, returned to the UK from the US last month.
asserted
he → expect → US
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”.
uncertain
that → accord → earl
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.
asserted
it → call → uncle
In the book, 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
Commenting on how the claims will affect the King, Ms Seward told PA: “I think it’s very unpleasant for the King.
uncertain
it → comment → King
“For anyone to say something like that it’s extremely upsetting and I’m delighted he has hit back.”
asserted
he → say → that
She said she did not believe the palace would say anything further once the book has been published in full.
asserted
book → say → anything
Summarising how unprecedented the palace’s response to the claims is, the royal commentator said: “They never comment on books.
uncertain
They → summarise → books
They never, ever comment on books.
asserted
They → comment → books
“They might be unhappy about it but they always refrain from making comment.
uncertain
they → refrain → comment
“But this is very personal so it’s different, and also it’s said by Diana’s brother.
asserted
it → ’ → brother
“Charles was grief-stricken at the time, as I’m sure Spencer was as well.
asserted
Spencer → stricken → time
“He was grief-stricken and he never would have said anything remotely against Diana and he felt consumed by guilt that she was even in this situation of being in a car speeding through a tunnel in Paris with her Egyptian lover.
asserted
she → stricken → lover
“He felt really guilty that she was in that situation.”
asserted
she → feel → situation
She added that she believed the palace’s response was because of how unpleasant the situation is for William and Harry.
asserted
situation → add → William
Ms Seward said: “I don’t think Charles Spencer really cares what the palace think of him.
asserted
palace → say → him
“He’s his own person in his own right and I don’t suppose he cares what the palace think of him.
asserted
palace → ’ → him
“But it’s pretty unpleasant for William and Harry to have their father painted in this way and I think that’s why the palace hit back.
asserted
palace → ’ → way
“I think Charles could easily take it on the chin because he’s been criticised so many times before, but I think it’s really for William and Harry that this has become such a big story.”
uncertain
this → think → William
The Aporia
