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Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, released his book "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" on Tuesday, published globally by Penguin and translated into twelve languages. The memoir includes claims that sparked controversy even before its release, such as alleging that King Charles III sounded elated after Diana’s death and threatened to forget her soon enough during an argument over the funeral plans for their sons William and Harry. Buckingham Palace responded with a rare statement defending the king against Spencer's accusations, emphasizing the impact of fraternal grief on judgment and memory.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-22,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Experts suggest that Earl Spencer felt a duty to write his memoir about Diana's life. In the book, he makes explosive claims against King Charles, alleging that shortly after Princess Diana’s death in 1997, then-Prince Charles said "we’ll forget her soon enough." This prompted Buckingham Palace to issue a statement saying His Majesty is mindful that fraternal grief can cloud judgment and reason.
Spencer accused the king of gaslighting him when the palace responded by questioning his recollections. He called the palace's defense a "rather poor imitation" of how Queen Elizabeth II handled similar allegations from Prince Harry in their Oprah interview.
The book also includes details about an alleged row over Diana’s funeral arrangements where King Charles reportedly went ballistic, criticizing Spencer's family for not fulfilling their duties adequately enough. Buckingham Palace did not comment on the specifics of these claims but suggested that grief could affect memory accuracy over time.
Earl Spencer told BBC he wanted to put down truths before it was too late due to his awareness of mortality. He added that there are other facts about King Charles he chose not to include in the book, deeming them irrelevant.
Written for “Diana Controversies Royal Family” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 92 other(s) covering the same event.
Charles Spencer's book about his late sister Princess Diana's life and former marriage to Britain's now King Charles III hit bookstores on Tuesday.
asserted
book → hit → Tuesday
The book titled "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" is being published globally by Penguin and has been translated into 12 languages.
asserted
book → title → languages
The memoir triggered a royal row even before it went on sale, after some of its pre-published extracts — laden with Spencer's explosive claims — received a rare reaction and rebuttal from the king.
uncertain
some → trigger → king
Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, is Diana's younger brother and has long clashed with the royal House of Windsor over how they treated the princess.
asserted
they → clash → princess
What does Charles Spencer say in his memoir of Princess Diana?
asserted
Spencer → say → Diana
In one of the claims that made a splash ahead the new book's release, Spencer accused Charles of sounding "giddily elated" and "like a lottery winner" when he had called him after Diana's death.
uncertain
he → make → death
Spencer also writes that he had argued against plans for Charles and Diana's sons, William and Harry, to walk in their mother's funeral procession in 1997, saying that she would not have wanted them to go through that ordeal.
asserted
them → write → ordeal
Spencer claims Charles "went ballistic" during the argument , telling him: "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough."
uncertain
we → claim → her
The world was moved by somber visuals of the young princes walking behind Diana's coffin.
asserted
princes → move → coffin
How has King Charles III reacted to Spencer's claims?
Following the release of the book's excerpts last week, Buckingham Palace published a strongly-worded statement.
uncertain
Palace → react → statement
"His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss," it said in a statement considered rare as far as responses from the royal household go.
asserted
responses → cloud → household
Princess Diana's life and death
In 1981, a 20-year-old Lady Diana Spencer married a 32-year-old Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, in a fairytale wedding that was televised globally.
Their whirlwind romance soon hit rock bottom and culminated in a public breakdown of their marriage.
asserted
romance → marry → marriage
Diana famously told the BBC in an interview that "there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded" in reference to Charles' relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles.
asserted
it → tell → Bowles
Diana, known as the people's princess, was loved by people from all over the world.
asserted
Diana → know → world
Her popularity led to her experiencing a media frenzy that lasted nearly all her adult life.
asserted
that → lead → life
The royal couple divorced in 1996 and Diana died a year later, aged 36, in a car crash in Paris as she was being pursued by paparazzi.
asserted
she → divorce → paparazzi
Charles married Parker Bowles in 2005.
asserted
Charles → marry → 2005
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