Royal Expert’s Two-Word Palace Rebuke as Diana’s Brother Stands Firm

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Charles Spencer is refusing to retract his account of King Charles III in his forthcoming memoir, “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” The book recounts the life of the late Princess Diana from the perspective of her brother, the 9th Earl Spencer. It has already sparked controversy over Spencer’s description of what he says was Charles’ callous response to Diana’s death during a heated exchange. Royal commentator Richard Eden has since backed Spencer while sharply criticizing Buckingham Palace’s decision to respond. Speaking to the BBC before the memoir’s September 22 publication, Spencer insisted, “I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said.” He added that he had spoken with Charles on only two occasions in his life and was certain of what he remembered: “[A]nd those are precisely the words that he said. And I promise that to you now.”

In Swan Song, Spencer recounts a dispute over Diana’s funeral procession that he says left Charles furious. According to the memoir, the then-Prince of Wales shouted, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough!” Buckingham Palace later issued a statement rejecting the earl’s account. Eden, however, called the palace’s intervention a “misguided mistake.” Appearing on the Daily Mail’s Palace Confidential, the royal expert argued that officials acted far too quickly, saying, “I think it was a terribly misguided thing to do — to respond so quickly in this way.”

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Eden contrasted the palace’s response with the late Queen Elizabeth II’s long-standing approach of “never complain, never explain.” He said he was particularly frustrated that Charles had remained silent after Prince Harry’s memoir was published, yet moved swiftly to deny an allegation concerning a private conversation from three decades ago. “As soon as a book comes out that criticizes him for something he said 30 years ago, he rushes to put out a statement the week before the book comes out,” Eden said, concluding, “I think it’s a terrible mistake.”

Another passage in Swan Song describes Charles’ reaction after learning that Diana had died in a 1997 car crash in Paris. Spencer said that, unlike the other people who contacted him in shock, Charles sounded “giddily elated,” as if he had received extraordinarily good news. Looking back, Spencer suggested that Charles may have been focused on the possibility that Diana’s death would allow him to marry Camilla, the woman who is now Queen Camilla, rather than grieving the loss of his former wife. Spencer later acknowledged to the BBC that he could not know precisely what Charles was thinking. Still, he said, “I just felt there was a lightness in his tone about Diana’s death that really jarred with me.”

Spencer also revisits a separate confrontation involving Diana’s funeral and whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin. He described the proposal as “utterly barbaric” and unacceptable. Charles, he claimed, responded angrily: “That’s the problem with your family. They’ve got no bloody sense of duty!” Although some have accused Spencer of using his sister’s story for financial gain, he said the memoir was written to preserve and honor Diana’s memory. “I wanted to just put things down once and for all that were true,” he told the BBC. Spencer also hinted that the book does not contain everything he could say about Charles, adding, “This is not a threat, it’s a fact.”