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The Royal Family has found itself confronting another difficult chapter, with King Charles and Earl Charles Spencer now publicly at odds over claims concerning the late Princess Diana.
Earl Spencer’s highly anticipated memoir about his sister’s life and death has not yet been officially released, but extracts published ahead of its arrival have already generated considerable controversy.
Previews shared with the Daily Mail contain a series of striking allegations from Diana’s younger brother. Some of those claims have proved significant enough to draw a response from Buckingham Palace, which has challenged Spencer’s account before the book has even reached the shelves.
Further extracts from Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, released on Thursday, contain some of Earl Spencer’s most provocative allegations concerning the reaction within royal circles following Princess Diana’s death.
In his account, Spencer claims that certain figures inside Buckingham Palace were “relieved – indeed pleased” when they learned Diana had died. He also offers a particularly striking description of his conversation with the then-Prince Charles on the morning of the tragedy, alleging that Charles sounded “giddily elated – like a lottery winner”.
Spencer goes on to suggest a possible explanation for what he says he heard during that conversation. He raises the possibility that Charles may have felt “free” to pursue a future marriage with Camilla Parker Bowles following Diana’s death.
Spencer’s claims аbout Charles’s reaction to Diana’s deаth
Looking back on the devastating morning of 31 August 1997, Earl Spencer has described receiving a phone call from the then-Prince Charles shortly after learning that his sister Diana had died.
Spencer recalled that Charles managed to reach him by telephone while he was walking across the upstairs landing of his home. In his memoir, he contrasts the tone of that conversation with the other calls he received in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
He claimed: “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.”
Spencer went on to describe what Charles allegedly told him during that conversation, including the painful task of breaking the news of Diana’s death to their two sons, William and Harry.
He recalled: “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.”
Reflecting on the exchange almost three decades later, Spencer also offered his own interpretation of what he believes may have been going through Charles’s mind in the immediate aftermath of Diana’s death.
He wrote: “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. It can be hard to feel too much sympathy for an ex-spouse, or those who care for them profoundly, after bitter divorce.”
Funeral arrangemеnts for Princess Diana
Spencer also uses his memoir to revisit the disagreements surrounding preparations for Diana’s funeral, alleging that his family lost control over key decisions as the arrangements progressed.
According to his account, the then-Prince Charles adopted what Spencer characterises as an “entitled” approach and effectively took responsibility for organising the funeral away from Diana’s relatives.
He further claims that Buckingham Palace failed to respect one of Diana’s own wishes for her eventual funeral. Spencer says his sister had wanted Mozart’s Requiem to be performed, but that request was ultimately not followed.
Describing how he believes the Palace regarded Diana even after her divorce from Charles, Spencer wrote: “Diana remained theirs, in Buckingham Palace’s eyes, even in death. Her family, despite her divorce, were simply expected to fall into line with any royal decisions.”
Spencer’s criticism goes further as he reflects on what he regarded as the Palace’s handling of the situation, suggesting that the experience was enough to raise uncomfortable questions even among committed supporters of the monarchy.
He wrote: “It is at moments like this that even the most ardent monarchist finds that questions about arrogance and entitlement arise.”
Shоck for Prince William аnd Prince Harry
The revelations contained in Earl Spencer’s memoir have already triggered considerable controversy, with a new report suggesting that senior members of the Royal Family were given no advance notice of the book’s most sensitive allegations.
According to The Telegraph, neither Prince William nor Prince Harry was briefed by their uncle about what he intended to disclose. King Charles and Buckingham Palace were reportedly also unaware of the specific claims before extracts began emerging publicly.
While Spencer’s plans to write a book about Diana had previously been announced, extraordinary secrecy appears to have surrounded the manuscript itself. Tight security reportedly meant that copies were not circulated ahead of publication, limiting knowledge of exactly what Spencer had written.
As a result, William, Harry, Charles and Palace officials are said to have received no warning about the allegations concerning Diana and the events surrounding her death and funeral.
The absence of any advance conversation with Diana’s sons is particularly notable given Spencer’s continuing relationship with his nephews. He is understood to remain especially close to Harry, who reportedly spent time with his uncle during the summer while accompanied by his own family.
Earl Spencer’s cоntentious claim abоut Charles
With publication scheduled for next week, Earl Spencer’s memoir is set to reopen one of the most painful periods in the Royal Family’s history, revisiting events surrounding Princess Diana’s death and its aftermath.
The controversy had already reached Buckingham Palace by Wednesday, when officials issued a response to a startling allegation concerning Charles’s reaction following Diana’s death that appeared in the first extract released from the book.
One of Spencer’s most serious allegations centres on a disagreement over whether Diana’s sons should take part in the funeral procession. William was just 15 at the time, while Harry was 12, and Spencer says he strongly opposed the idea of the boys being expected to walk behind their mother’s coffin.
According to his account, his objections provoked an angry reaction from the then-Prince of Wales. Spencer claims Charles responded with what he describes as a “stream of anger” during a tense telephone conversation.
Recalling the alleged exchange, Spencer wrote: “He [Charles] unleashed down the phone what I have always taken to be his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death. ‘Rest assured,’ he hissed, ‘we’ll forget her soon enough’.”
Buckinghаm Palace hits back – ‘grief can cloud reasоn’
Spencer’s allegation drew a notably rapid and rare response from Buckingham Palace, which departed from its usual reluctance to engage publicly with claims contained in royal books.
A Palace spokesperson 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 judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
Harry himself has previously spoken about the experience of joining his mother’s funeral procession when he was only 12. Reflecting on what happened, he said that no child “should be asked to do” something of that nature.
His feelings about his own participation, however, have not been entirely straightforward. Speaking to the BBC in 2017, Harry said he did not “have an opinion whether that was right or wrong”. But “looking back on it”, he acknowledged that he was ultimately pleased to have taken part in the day.
Copiеs of the book stolеn in the Netherlands
The controversy surrounding Spencer’s memoir took another unexpected turn on Wednesday, when reports emerged that copies had been stolen before the book’s official release.
According to the Daily Mail, a shipment containing the memoirs departed from a printing facility in central Europe on Monday. The books were being transported by lorry to a warehouse in the Netherlands, from where they were due to be sent on to Dutch retailers ahead of publication.
However, some copies were reportedly stolen from the vehicle before they could reach their intended destination, raising concerns about material from the closely guarded memoir potentially circulating before its scheduled release.
During the journey that evening, the driver reportedly stopped at a remote roadside rest area in the Dutch countryside and parked the lorry there overnight while he slept.
When he checked the vehicle at around 8am the following morning, he discovered that someone had apparently broken into it. Curiously, the thieves did not take the entire shipment. Instead, only a small number of wrapped copies of Swan Song were reported missing.
The unusual circumstances surrounding the theft have now prompted an investigation by Dutch police as authorities attempt to establish who was responsible for the break-in and why only a handful of copies were taken.
Businеss as usual for Princе William and Princess Kate
Prince William and Princess Kate embraced the wet and windy conditions on Thursday as they joined a community effort to clear rubbish from Ettrick Bay on the Isle of Bute. The couple took a particularly hands-on approach, collecting waste from the shoreline before William climbed behind the wheel of a tractor to help remove larger debris.
Their visit highlighted the work of Beachwatch Bute, which has spent almost three decades tackling litter and marine waste across the island’s beaches.
William and Catherine walked along the coastline with Beach Ranger Sandra Macmillan and other supporters of the organisation. Since 1998, the group has coordinated regular clean-up efforts designed to protect Bute’s coastal environment while ensuring its beaches remain safe and accessible for wildlife and the community.
During their walk across the sand, the royals stopped to meet some of the volunteers involved in the initiative. Among them were Suzy Cumming and her eight-year-old son Isaac, who had discovered a message in a bottle shortly before William and Catherine arrived.
The find prompted a playful response from William. “I hope it’s a nice message,” he said, before joking: “I hope it’s not a message for help from someone stuck on an island!”
The couple were subsequently introduced to the tractor and trailer Beachwatch Bute uses when heavier objects need to be cleared from the coastline. Volunteer mechanic Robert Murray, from West Coast Motors, maintains the equipment, while the company also provides somewhere to keep the vehicles when they are not required.
Sandra gave William a brief lesson on operating the tractor before the Prince took control himself. With Catherine laughing beside him inside the cab, he drove the vehicle onto the beach and carefully reversed towards a large plastic buoy from a mussel farm that had been washed ashore.
Even the driving rain did not stop the couple from finishing the job. William and Catherine got back out onto the sand and joined the effort to roll the bulky buoy onto the trailer. Once it was loaded, they returned to the tractor and transported it away from the beach.
Prince Harry makеs his first public appearance since UK rеturn
The Duke of Sussex returned to the public spotlight on Thursday evening, making his first official appearance since arriving back in Britain.
Prince Harry attended the inaugural Invictus Spirit Gala Dinner and Awards in London, marking his first public engagement following his return to the UK.
During the event, guests asked Harry how he was finding his time back in Britain. The Duke appeared positive about his return, responding: “Good. It’s good to be back on British soil.”
Dressed for the occasion in black tie, Prince Harry attended the London gala without Meghan. The Duchess of Sussex was understood to have remained at home with the couple’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Ahead of the main awards ceremony on Thursday night, guests gathered for a champagne reception where Harry spoke enthusiastically about the evening ahead. Having helped judge the awards alongside Meghan, the Duke said he was “incredibly excited” to finally meet those who had been nominated as well as the eventual winners.
The event also attracted a number of familiar faces from entertainment and television. James Corden was among the guests, alongside singers Jess Glynne and Sonique and television personality Ross Kemp.
Harry also enjoyed a warm reunion with former England rugby player James Haskell. As soon as he noticed Haskell, the Duke made his way over and greeted him with a big hug, telling him: “great to see you again”.
