Buckingham Palace Strongly Rebuts Claims in Earl Spencer’s New Diana Memoir

Buckingham Palace has engaged in a sharp war of words with Earl Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, following the publication of controversial claims in his forthcoming memoir. The Royal Family has forcefully pushed back against allegations detailing remarks purportedly made in the immediate aftermath of Diana’s death in 1997, marking a rare and unusually direct intervention by the monarchy.

The dispute centres on excerpts from Earl Spencer’s upcoming book, *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, which was previewed in the Daily Mail ahead of its release next week. In the memoir, Spencer offers an insider account from the perspective of Diana’s family, reopening memories of one of the most painful and turbulent periods in recent royal history.

According to the published excerpts, Earl Spencer claims that King Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, directed a "stream of anger" towards him during a private telephone exchange. The conversation reportedly arose after Spencer argued that Diana would not have wanted her young sons, Prince William, aged 15 at the time, and Prince Harry, aged 12, to walk behind her coffin in the funeral procession.

In the book, Spencer wrote that the then-Prince Charles unleashed what he interpreted as longstanding contempt for Diana, alongside astonishment that her sudden death had so profoundly moved people across the globe. Spencer claimed that during this heated exchange, Charles hissed the phrase: "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough."

Buckingham Palace responded with an uncharacteristically robust defence, seeking to cast doubt on Spencer’s recollection of the conversation. While royal officials typically maintain a strict policy of silence regarding commercial books and biographical accounts, the severity of the claim prompted an immediate public rebuttal.

In its official statement, the Palace noted: "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."

The pointed terminology adopted by the Palace is reminiscent of the phrasing used by Queen Elizabeth II in 2021. At that time, the late monarch famously remarked that "recollections may vary" following allegations of racism raised by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, demonstrating a similar strategy of questioning the accuracy of personal memories without engaging in an exhaustive debate.

Those close to the Palace have rejected the claim outright, describing the alleged comment as completely out of character for Charles. Officials stressed that the King is known for having a deeply compassionate nature, noting that during the traumatic days of 1997, he was carrying the burden of his own grief while prioritizing the welfare of his two grieving sons.

The release of the book resurfaces the intense public volatility that surrounded the tragic death of Princess Diana. In the days following the fatal car crash, the Royal Family faced widespread accusations from the public that they were displaying a lack of empathy, emotion, and understanding during a moment of nationwide mourning.

The sense of division between the Spencer family and the royal establishment was publicly underscored at Diana’s funeral, where Earl Spencer delivered an emotional and defiant eulogy. The new memoir revisits that lingering atmosphere of grievance, offering his personal viewpoint on the interactions that took place behind closed doors.

The eruption of this public disagreement comes at a particularly delicate time for the Royal Family, threatening to overshadow a crowded schedule of high-profile official engagements being conducted simultaneously across the country.

King Charles is scheduled to intervene in the global conversation regarding artificial intelligence during an event hosted at Dumfries House in Ayrshire. The King is expected to address technology leaders on the urgent need to ensure that rapidly advancing AI does not turn into a destructive force that compromises human control.

Addressing representatives from leading technology firms, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, and Google DeepMind, alongside UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan, the King is set to stress that the pace and substance of AI development are both intriguing and deeply concerning. His prepared remarks call for international cooperation and urge industry pioneers to keep technology firmly rooted in service to humanity and the natural world.

Simultaneously, Prince William and Catherine are undertaking a series of engagements in Scotland, where they are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay. The royal couple is carrying out their first official visit to the Isle of Bute, where they are scheduled to view the traditional sport of shinty, visit a community-run pub, and meet with local environmental volunteers.

Adding to the day's significant royal activity, Prince Harry is making his first major public appearance since returning to the United Kingdom. The Duke of Sussex is attending the inaugural Invictus awards ceremony, an event established to honour the unconquered spirit, service, and resilience of wounded and injured military personnel.

Despite the broad array of charitable and official events occupying senior royals, the contentious claims from Earl Spencer's memoir have captured widespread attention, underscoring how unresolved tensions surrounding Diana's life and legacy continue to reverberate decades later.