Buckingham Palace Engages in Public Dispute With Earl Spencer Over Diana Memoir Claims

Buckingham Palace has entered into a sharp war of words with Earl Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, regarding controversial assertions made in an upcoming memoir about her life and death. The dispute centers on excerpts published in the Daily Mail from the forthcoming book titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, written from the perspective of the Spencer family and scheduled for publication next week.

According to the published excerpts, King Charles is accused of making an insensitive comment to Earl Spencer shortly after Diana's death in 1997. The book claims that the then-Prince of Wales told him, "we'll forget her soon enough," during a phone call following a disagreement over whether Princes William and Harry, then aged 15 and 12, should walk in their mother's funeral procession. The excerpt states that Charles unleashed a "stream of anger" and expressed contempt regarding the public reaction to Diana's passing.

In response, Buckingham Palace issued an unusually strong pushback to cast doubt on the claims. While noting a general principle of not commenting on books, the Palace stated that 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 language drew comparisons to Queen Elizabeth II's notable 2021 response regarding claims made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, where she observed that "recollections may vary."

Julian Payne, the monarch's former communications secretary, told the BBC that the language attributed to the King in the book was "just not language that I recognise." He added that the highly unusual statement demonstrated the strong feelings within the institution that prompted them to address the matter directly. Meanwhile, the Palace rejected the allegation as entirely out of character for a man with a deeply compassionate nature who was dealing with his own grief alongside that of his two sons at the time.

The public disagreement threatens to overshadow a heavily crowded schedule of events for various members of the Royal Family. The tension touches upon the volatile atmosphere that followed Diana's sudden death in 1997, when the monarchy faced widespread public criticism for appearing out of touch and failing to show adequate empathy. Earl Spencer's defiant and emotional funeral speech had previously contributed to that public grievance, and his new book is poised to present an insider perspective on those sensitive historical events.

Amid the unfolding literary dispute, King Charles is set to host a gathering of artificial intelligence industry leaders at Dumfries House in Ayrshire. The monarch plans to call on tech executives to prevent AI from becoming a destructive force and to ensure the technology remains firmly in the service of humanity, community, and the natural world. He will be joined by AI minister Kanishka Narayan and representatives from prominent tech firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, and Google DeepMind to discuss safety, job threats, and international co-operation.

At the same time, Prince William and Catherine are scheduled to visit community and volunteering projects on the Isle of Bute. Known in Scotland as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, the couple will make their first official visit to the town of Rothesay to observe traditional shinty sports, visit a community-owned pub, and learn about local environmental conservation efforts on the island.

Simultaneously, Prince Harry is slated to make his first major public appearance since returning to the UK by attending the inaugural Invictus awards ceremony. The event celebrates the resilience, service, and spirit of injured service personnel involved in the sports initiative. While a letter sent on behalf of the King previously clarified that Harry and Meghan are not carrying on official royal engagements, their presence as private citizens continues to draw substantial public and media attention.

The simultaneous occurrence of multiple royal engagements highlights a busy period for the family as Prince Harry and Meghan operate their own program of activities in the UK. The ongoing discussion surrounding the memoir and concurrent public appearances underscores the complex dynamics still surrounding the history and current arrangements of the Royal Family.