Buckingham Palace has issued an unusually direct response to a claim by Earl Spencer that King Charles allegedly told him Princess Diana would soon be forgotten following her death in 1997.
The disputed account appears in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Earl Spencer’s forthcoming memoir about his sister, her relationship with Charles and the events surrounding her death.
The Palace normally avoids commenting on books, making its response particularly notable.
Earl Spencer Recalls Heated Phone Call
In the memoir, Earl Spencer describes a confrontation with the then Prince Charles over whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession.
According to Spencer, one of Queen Elizabeth II’s senior aides had informed him that the two young princes would take part in the procession.
Spencer says he objected, arguing that Diana would not have wanted her sons subjected to the experience.
He then recalls receiving a telephone call from Charles, who questioned his position and referred to his own experience of walking behind the coffin of Lord Mountbatten in 1979.
Spencer writes that Charles became extremely angry when he pointed out that the prince had been 30 years old when Mountbatten was buried.
Alleged Remark About Diana
Spencer’s memoir claims that Charles continued expressing his anger before abruptly pausing.
The earl says he initially assumed the pause meant Charles was attempting to regain control of his emotions.
Instead, he alleges that Charles then made the remark that has become the central point of the dispute.
Spencer recalls the then Prince of Wales allegedly telling him: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
The earl says he was stunned by the comment and responded that he could not believe Charles had said it before ending the call.
Palace Challenges the Memoir’s Account
Buckingham Palace responded by questioning the reliability of memories formed during periods of profound grief.
A Royal spokesman said: “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 wording has drawn comparisons with Queen Elizabeth II’s 2021 response to claims made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their interview with Oprah Winfrey, when the Palace said that “recollections may vary.”
Former Royal Aide Rejects Characterisation
Julian Payne, who served as Charles’s communications secretary from 2016 to 2021, also questioned the account.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Payne said he did not recognise the King in the description contained in the memoir.
He recalled working with Charles around the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death in 2017, when media interest in the late princess was particularly intense.
Payne said Charles had made it clear that her memory was to be treated with respect and that there should be no criticism or attempt to undermine her legacy.
He added that the language attributed to Charles did not fit with what he knew of the King.
Claims About Charles’s Grief
A source close to the King also disputed the allegation, saying the remark was inconsistent with Charles’s character and with his emotional state at the time of Diana’s death.
The source pointed to Charles’s decision to override established Royal protocol and support a full state-style ceremonial funeral for Diana.
Royal commentators have similarly described the Palace intervention as highly unusual.
Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the response indicated the seriousness with which the King viewed the allegation, while former BBC royal reporter Jennie Bond described the dispute as another painful chapter involving members of the family.
Spencer Says Memoir Corrects the Record
Earl Spencer, who is 62, has presented Swan Song as an attempt to address what he regards as inaccuracies surrounding his sister and her life.
The memoir revisits Diana’s troubled marriage to Charles, her relationship with the Royal Family and the events surrounding her death in Paris on August 31, 1997.
The account of the alleged telephone conversation comes nearly three decades after the events described.
Diana’s Funeral Remains Central to the Dispute
Diana died aged 36, prompting an extraordinary public response in Britain and around the world.
At her funeral on September 6, 1997, Spencer delivered a highly emotional eulogy inside Westminster Abbey.
He had earlier walked behind Diana’s coffin alongside William and Harry, Charles and Prince Philip during the funeral procession through central London.
The question of whether the two princes should participate in that procession forms a key part of Spencer’s recollection of his confrontation with Charles.
Spencer’s memoir also contains other claims concerning Diana’s marriage and the period immediately following her death.
New Book Set for Worldwide Publication
Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is scheduled for worldwide publication on September 22, with the UK edition being released by Penguin Michael Joseph, part of Penguin Random House.
The book’s publication has also been surrounded by an investigation in the Netherlands into the reported overnight theft of four copies from a lorry.
Publishing sources have described the circumstances as suspicious.
The first extract from Spencer’s memoir is due to be published by the Daily Mail, with further details expected as the book’s release approaches.
Royal Engagements Continue Amid the Dispute
While the controversy surrounding the memoir developed, members of the Royal Family continued with scheduled official engagements.
King Charles was due to meet senior figures from major artificial-intelligence companies including Nvidia, Anthropic and OpenAI at Dumfries House in Scotland.
He was expected to discuss the development of AI and the importance of ensuring the technology serves humanity, communities and the natural world.
William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, were scheduled to make their first official visit to the Isle of Bute, including a visit to Rothesay.
Prince Harry was also expected to appear at the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards in London, while the Duchess of Edinburgh was due to undertake engagements in Zambia.
Princess Anne was scheduled to attend the opening of a new History Centre at the German Military Cemetery in Staffordshire.
