King sounded ‘giddily elated’ after Diana’s death, Earl Spencer claims

Charles Spencer, Diana's brother and the ninth Earl Spencer, claims in his upcoming memoir "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" that then-Prince Charles told him over the phone days after Diana’s death on August 31, 1997, to “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” The incident occurred during a heated argument about funeral arrangements where Prince William and Harry were set to walk in their mother's funeral procession. Spencer insisted that Diana would not have wanted this ordeal for her young sons, aged 15 and 12 at the time. Charles allegedly questioned the Spencer family’s sense of duty before making the controversial statement.

In response to these allegations, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying the king is "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss," effectively disputing the authenticity of Spencer's recollection.