A new memoir by Charles Spencer, the younger brother of Princess Diana, has reignited tensions with King Charles III nearly three decades after Diana’s death.
In “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” Spencer recounts his memories of Diana’s life, her troubled marriage to then-Prince Charles and the events surrounding her 1997 funeral. The book was published on September 22, ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death next year.
One of the most disputed claims concerns an alleged conversation between Spencer and the then-Prince Charles after Diana’s death. Spencer says they argued over plans for Prince William and Prince Harry, then 15 and 12, to walk behind their mother’s coffin during the funeral procession.
According to Spencer, Charles told him, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” Spencer has stood by his account, saying in a BBC interview that those were the words Charles used.
Buckingham Palace issued an unusually direct response, saying the King was mindful that grief could affect a person’s reason, judgment and memory, even many years after a loss. The Palace did not otherwise comment on the book itself.
Spencer also writes that Diana had considered ending her engagement before her 1981 wedding because she feared Charles did not love her. He describes other private conversations and memories involving his sister, while acknowledging that some of his accounts reflect his own recollection of events.
The memoir has generated further controversy beyond the royal family. Broadcaster Piers Morgan has disputed claims made about him in the book and said he intends to take legal action, alleging inaccuracies in Spencer’s account. Spencer has not publicly accepted Morgan’s characterization of the claims.
The publication has therefore reopened long-standing disagreements over Diana’s relationship with the royal family and the events surrounding her death. While Spencer presents the memoir as his personal account of his sister’s life, Buckingham Palace has challenged the reliability of his recollections.
The renewed dispute comes as attention turns toward the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death in 2027, ensuring that the memories and controversies surrounding the former Princess of Wales remain part of the public conversation.
