Prince William declined to answer questions about his uncle Earl Spencer’s book about his late mother, Princess Diana, during a visit to a community cinema this morning.

The Prince of Wales visited ActOne in Acton, west London, to promote the British film industry and showcase the community role played by independent cinemas.

However, the royal engagement risked being eclipsed by the continuing dispute over the earl’s new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which was released this morning.

In the memoir, Earl Spencer claims that King Charles said, ‘we’ll forget her soon enough’ after Diana’s death and appeared ‘giddily elated’ following the crash.

The allegations have triggered a public exchange of words between the earl and Buckingham Palace, which responded that ‘the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason’.

As William climbed the steps to the cinema on Acton High Street, a reporter asked: ‘Sir, how do you feel about your uncle’s book, have you read it?’

The prince did not respond. Instead, he quickly entered through the open doors as a royal supporter called out: ‘We love you, William!’

During the visit, William served popcorn to members of the public attending a film. He later apologised for operating the till slowly after a queue began to form.

This evening, William and his wife Kate are due to attend the world premiere of Digger in Leicester Square, alongside stars including Tom Cruise and Riz Ahmed.

The event at the Odeon Luxe cinema comes four years after William and Kate met Cruise at the UK premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in London in May 2022.

Meanwhile, the Mail on Sunday reported over the weekend that Earl Spencer described the palace’s response as ‘a rather poor imitation of the “recollections may vary” quote’—the phrase used by the late Queen in response to allegations made by Harry and Meghan during their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

He said: ‘It is not every day you wake up to find you’ve been gaslit by the King.

‘It was astonishingly provocative and below the belt because it was essentially trying to say I’d lied without the King being able to deny what I’d said.

‘I also thought it was a rather poor imitation of the “recollections may vary” quote, which was a much more elegant way of putting things, but in these circumstances entirely out of place.’

Responding to the claims in the memoir, a palace spokesman said last Wednesday: ‘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.’

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Discussing an alleged dispute over Diana’s funeral arrangements involving her sons, Earl Spencer said: ‘(The King) went ballistic, would be the right term, and started really going for my family as a whole, about their sense of duty, not being adequate enough, and ranted for a while, I have no idea how long, but it was a significant period, and I just listened.

‘And then he stopped, and I thought, “Oh now he’s going to pull himself together and say something more appropriate”. And then he said, “We’ll forget her soon enough”.’

Charles is said to have made the comments about his ex-wife in a row with the earl over whether the then Prince William and Prince Harry should follow Diana’s funeral cortege.

One of Queen Elizabeth II’s senior aides had told the earl that William and Harry were to walk in the funeral 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. But the earl pointed out that Charles had been 30 at the time of Lord Mountbatten’s funeral in 1979.

The earl also spoke of how Charles’s phone call following the car crash in 1997 ‘all sounded strangely matter-of-fact’.

One passage of the book read: ‘Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences and offers of help, he sounded giddily elated – like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time.

‘He let me know he had informed William and Harry of their mother’s death, first thing that morning, in their bedrooms at Balmoral.

‘It all sounded strangely matter-of-fact, given the enormity of the disaster.

‘Looking back now, I suspect the prince’s first reaction must have been to think more of how this event might free him to marry the woman he loved, rather than appreciating the loss of one he did not.’

In another extract of the book – which was serialised by the Daily Mail – the earl told of his memories of the funeral, and his concern for Harry, after he observed a ‘lack of obvious care’ for the then 12-year-old prince.

Separately, it was reported last night that Harry is in talks to make a documentary about his mother to mark the 30th anniversary of her death.

The Duke of Sussex is understood to have asked a number of Diana’s friends and relatives if they would take part in a commemorative film ahead of the milestone in August next year.

Among them is her brother the earl, who has said he penned a book to avoid being a ‘talking head’ in productions about his sister.

The project has not been confirmed, and the prince is understood to be weighing up different ways of commemorating Diana and her legacy.

A source close to Harry said: ‘The Duke has discussed a number of possible projects. Nothing has been finalised or confirmed, and he is still considering the most meaningful way to honour his mother’s legacy during this important anniversary year.’

Two men arrested by counter-terrorism officers in Manchester are suspected of planning an attack against the city’s Jewish community, police have said.

Specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police detained the pair in Manchester’s Northern Quarter on Sunday before carrying out a raid at a nearby hostel.

The arrests came on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and almost a year after the deadly attack at Heaton Park Synagogue in which Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were killed.

The Metropolitan Police said today that the investigation concerns a suspected terrorist plot targeting the Jewish community in the Manchester area. Officers said they did not believe there was any “ongoing threat to the public”.

The two men, both in their 30s, were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Terrorism Act and remain in custody.

Sources said the alleged plot is believed to have been driven by Islamist extremism, although the investigation is still at an early stage.

The suspected attack was reportedly linked to religious events marking Yom Kippur. A fast-moving investigation began after information was received indicating that the threat could be imminent.

No explosives or firearms have been discovered, it is understood. However, sources said it was too early to disclose how the alleged attack may have been carried out.

If confirmed, the alleged plot would mark the third terrorist targeting of the area in two years.

Marc Levy, chief executive of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, said: “Yesterday marked one year since Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were murdered in a terrorist attack targeting our community on Yom Kippur.

“The fact that, on that anniversary, a terrorist plot has been foiled which could once again have targeted Jews in Manchester makes this an incredibly concerning time for Jewish people in the UK.

“We are immensely grateful to Greater Manchester Police, the Metropolitan Police and the security services for their work in preventing another potential tragedy and for the extensive protection they continue to provide.

“We once again repeat that security can only ever deal with the symptoms.

“One year on from the murder of Melvin and Adrian, the Government must redouble its efforts to tackle the root causes of the hatred and extremism that are espoused in places of worship and other community spaces that continue to motivate people to target Jews.

“We cannot simply keep protecting our community from the next attack but must do much more to stop people being motivated to carry one out in the first place.”

The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism in the UK, said: “This is utterly chilling, coming so close to the anniversary of the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue last year, and is another reminder of the serious terrorist threat facing Jewish communities in this current time.

“We want to thank the police and other agencies for their work protecting the Jewish community, and British society as a whole, from terrorism.

“We urge the Jewish community to remain calm and alert, and to report any suspicious activity to police on 999 and then to CST.”

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And the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: ‘We are grateful to the authorities for their vigilance. But the Jewish community cannot rely on that forever. 

‘The authorities need to get lucky every time and the terrorists only once. Until the threat itself is confronted, British Jews will never be safe.’

The arrests come almost 12 months after knife-wielding Islamic State supporter Jihad Al-Shamie tried to force his way into the Heaton Park Synagogue on last year’s Yom Kippur, October 2.

Al-Shamie – who was wearing a fake suicide belt, and rang 999 during his atrocity saying ‘I have killed two Jews in the name of Islamic State’ – had already stabbed Mr Cravitz, 66. 

As a police marksman fired his Glock pistol at the terrorist, an inquest earlier this month heard how one round tragically struck both Mr Daulby, 53, who was bravely helping to barricade the doors, causing fatal injuries, and also 39-year-old Yoni Finlay, who survived.

The year before a terrorist attack on the same Jewish community planned by Walid Saadaoui, 38, the former owner of an Italian restaurant in Great Yarmouth, and Amar Hussein, 52, a former Iraqi soldier who worked in an appliance store in Bolton, was foiled after they unwittingly bought assault rifles, handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from an undercover officer.

Saadaoui was sentenced to life in jail with a minimum of 37 years and Hussein to life with a minimum of 26 years in February.

Today, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, senior national co-ordinator for counter terrorism policing, said: ‘This has been a long-running proactive investigation which has led to the disruption of what we believe to be a plot to target the Jewish community in the Manchester area. 

‘Counter terrorism policing continue to focus our efforts on identifying and disrupting those who wish to cause harm in our communities.’

‘We are acutely aware this news will cause further concern to the Jewish community, as well as the wider public, especially given the significant High Holy Day period. 

‘I want to reassure them we are working incredibly closely with colleagues in Greater Manchester Police and partners to ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep them and the wider public safe. 

‘And more broadly, across the country CTP is working with local police forces to provide protective security support and advice for areas with Jewish communities, and particularly during the High Holy Day period.

‘As we have shown with these arrests, where we suspect there could be a threat to the public, then we will not hesitate to investigate and take action.

‘We are pursuing a number of lines of enquiry and we anticipate these will continue over the coming days as this investigation continues.

‘Importantly, we do not believe there to be any ongoing threat to the public in relation to this matter, but as ever, we would ask that people remain vigilant and contact police with any concerns.’

Earlier today police in Manchester pledged a ‘robust’ operation to protect the city’s Jewish population throughout this week’s High Holy Days period.

Chief Superintendent Dave Meeney, of Greater Manchester Police, said: ‘We’re well aware that events over recent days will have only added to already heightened concerns in our Jewish communities, especially at such an important time of year. 

‘We recognise and understand this concern, and I want to make it absolutely clear that our work to provide as much visibility and security as we can through additional activity, which remains very much ongoing. 

‘Our priority is always the safety of the public and, while we don’t currently believe there is any ongoing risk to our communities linked to Counter Terrorism Policing’s activity in Greater Manchester this week, we’ll continue to listen and respond to your concerns in the most proportionate and effective way.’

Olympic swimmer Michael Klim has responded with apparent frustration after his former wife, Lindy, revisited long-standing allegations that he was unfaithful during their marriage.

The couple announced their separation in February 2016, following roughly 12 months of attempts to repair their relationship.

Reports alleging that Michael had cheated before the separation were widely published by New Idea and subsequently repeated by other media outlets, including The West Australian.

However, the claims had largely disappeared from the spotlight over the years. During that time, Michael and Lindy appeared to maintain a cordial co-parenting arrangement as they raised their three children, Stella, Rocco and Frankie, now teenagers and young adults.

Their relationship even seemed to become warmer after Lindy’s second marriage ended in 2024 and Michael was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare autoimmune condition affecting the nervous system.

That image of the pair as amicable former partners — reinforced by a warm Christmas reunion nearly two years ago — has now been disrupted after Lindy, 47, discussed the breakdown of her marriage on the Parenthood Podcast earlier this month. The program is hosted by relationship specialist Leonie Akhidenor.

‘The first [relationship] kind of happened really quickly in the sense that there was some kind of infidelity that happened, so my whole world came crashing down,’ Lindy said, referring to her decade-long marriage to Michael.

‘That was a big moment for me because I was like, “Okay, well, I can’t stay anymore. I have to leave.” That was a really difficult decision… It was just awful.’

She continued: ‘That was very traumatic and I was very sad. It all happened very quickly. It was a horrible, horrible time… I was properly depressed, to be honest.’

Asked by the Daily Mail this week to respond to Lindy’s comments, Michael appeared unwilling to revisit the allegations, which have resurfaced years after they first attracted attention.

‘I don’t really want to comment on her podcast and social media activity. I’m okay, thank you. I don’t want to comment about this,’ he said.

‘This is something she chose to talk about. I’m not commenting on anything in our private lives that happened.’

‘I don’t even want to tell you how I feel,’ he added.

During the podcast interview, Lindy also said their relationship remained strained after the 2016 split because she found it difficult to establish a rapport with Michael’s next partner, Desiree Deravi.

Michael and fashion designer Desiree, 46, publicly confirmed their relationship after his separation from Lindy was announced. The Mail does not allege that Desiree had any involvement in, or connection to, the infidelity claims.

Michael and Desiree eventually called it quits in May 2019. 

‘The children’s dad [Michael] had a new partner at the time… and it was really hard for me to see my children with that person,’ she said.

‘It was horrendous, actually, it was a really difficult time, but they ended up breaking up… That is a really difficult thing to experience.’

In November 2016, Lindy told Stellar magazine that she ‘felt really hurt and humiliated’ following her separation from Michael, adding that she only found out about his relationship with Desiree through the media.  

‘I felt very let-down; that was probably the humiliation of finding out about things in a magazine. I didn’t know that was going on, which was really hurtful,’ she said.

‘Obviously we’d been struggling for a while, but I thought we were keeping a hold on it and trying really hard to work it out,’ she added.

‘I felt like I’d failed in a way, as being a wife. I was feeling a bit like, “Oh my God, I couldn’t keep all this together. What’s wrong with me?”‘

Months later, in July 2017, Michael publicly accused Lindy of ‘trolling’ Desiree using the ‘fake profile @j_cross1’ after Desiree posted a selfie on Instagram with his two daughters at the beach.

‘We know it’s you @lindyklim. So just stop with the trolling… You’re a grown woman and stop being so disrespectful,’ he wrote in comments that were widely reported at the time.

Desiree also made similar claims, writing: ‘If @michaelklim1 doesn’t mind and he is their father and the children don’t mind why should anyone else especially since @lindyklim has been blocked for trolling.

‘Let’s get one thing straight, making a fake account and trolling is never OK and these comments are not the first. It’s constant and inappropriate. Not to mention the emails!’ 

At about the same time, Lindy had announced she was pregnant with her then-new partner Adam Ellis, from whom she has since split. 

She has never publicly addressed Michael’s claims of anonymous trolling. 

Lindy and Michael share children Stella, 20, Rocco, 18, and Frankie, 15.

She also shares daughter Goldie, eight, with property developer Adam, whom she separated from in October 2024 after six years of marriage.