King Charles contests Diana brother claims in new memoir
King Charles III was deeply shaken and firmly disputed claims published by his former brother-in-law Charles Spencer in the memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The 77-year-old British monarch rejected allegations portraying him as indifferent in the days following the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in London.
Sources close to Buckingham Palace stated that the king does not recognize the depiction made by the 9th Earl Spencer, noting that Charles faced severe depression in the years following the tragedy. “Everyone inside the palace is completely beside themselves that Diana’s brother would publish such lies,” an insider reported on Thursday (24).
Allegations of post-tragedy remarks draw royal rebuke
In the 384-page memoir, Spencer, 62, chronicled his relationship with his sister and their interactions before her death in Paris at the age of 36. Diana was later honored with a ceremonial royal funeral at Westminster Abbey. In one passage, Spencer alleged that Charles sounded elated during a telephone conversation days after the fatal crash and claimed the royal insisted Diana would soon be forgotten.
Palace insiders countered the characterization, emphasizing that those close to the monarch observed profound anguish rather than detachment during the period of mourning.
Buckingham Palace and Earl Spencer clash over fraternal grief
Buckingham Palace issued an unusual formal statement on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, addressing the claims after excerpts began circulating. “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 judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise even many years after such a loss,” the palace spokesperson stated.
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Spencer publicly rejected the royal response during an interview broadcast on Sunday (20) with correspondent Maggie Rulli on ABC News’ Good Morning America. “Well, it’s not every day you’re gaslit by a king, but I was really upset with that because I thought it was very, not only condescending, but not straight,” Spencer said. He added: “What I said is straight and true, and what did they come back with? That. It doesn’t say he didn’t say it either. That’s what I found interesting. I was really shocked, actually.”
Theft in the Netherlands and release timeline
Days before the official launch, translated copies of the memoir were stolen from a delivery truck in the Netherlands, triggering early leaks across British media outlets ahead of the official release date.
- Sunday, August 31, 1997: Princess Diana dies following a car crash in Paris at age 36
- Wednesday, September 16, 2026: Buckingham Palace issues a formal statement questioning Spencer’s recollections
- Sunday, September 20, 2026: Spencer gives a broadcast interview on ABC News addressing the palace statement
- Tuesday, September 22, 2026: Official publication of the memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister
- Thursday, September 24, 2026: Royal sources detail King Charles III’s private distress over the book
Unverified accounts of private conversations
The exact contents of the 1997 telephone exchanges between Charles and Spencer have no known audio recordings or independent witnesses, leaving two conflicting personal accounts. The private emotional impact attributed to King Charles III also remains anchored in anonymous reports from palace insiders. The publication arrives ahead of the 30-year mark since Diana’s passing, reopening long-standing divisions between the Spencer family and the British monarchy.
