Diana Memoir Reignites Royal Family Dispute

Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer and younger brother of Princess Diana, has published a memoir about his late sister’s life and her troubled marriage to Charles, now King Charles III. Titled “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” the book was released globally by Penguin and translated into 12 languages. The memoir generated controversy before publication after excerpts containing serious claims were released. Spencer reportedly described King Charles as “giddily elated” and “like a lottery winner” during a phone call following Diana’s death in 1997. He also claims he opposed plans for Diana’s sons, William and Harry, to walk behind her coffin during the funeral procession, arguing that she would not have wanted them to endure the public ordeal. According to Spencer, Charles reacted angrily and said, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” William was 15 and Harry 12 at the time. Buckingham Palace issued an unusually direct response to the excerpts. Without addressing the claims individually, it said that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and color memory,” suggesting that Spencer’s recollections may have been influenced by grief and the passage of time. The article also recounts the major events of Diana’s life. She married Charles in 1981 in a globally televised wedding, but their relationship later deteriorated publicly. Diana famously referred to Charles’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles in a BBC interview by saying, “there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” The couple divorced in 1996. Diana, who was widely known as the “people’s princess,” died aged 36 in a Paris car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi. Charles later married Camilla in 2005.

The France 24 video item, titled “Lady Diana: Spencer’s memoir on Diana reignites royal controversy,” reports on renewed controversy surrounding a memoir about Princess Diana by her brother, Spencer. The excerpt says that Spencer has long clashed with the royal family over what he considers their treatment of his older sister. It does not provide specific examples of those disputes, describe the memoir’s claims, or include reactions from the royal family, so the precise source and substance of the renewed controversy cannot be established from the text supplied. The article gives a brief outline of Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles: they married in 1981 and divorced in 1996. It adds that Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles a decade later, and identifies her by her current title, Queen Camilla. These details situate the memoir and the reported tensions within the broader history of the royal family, but the excerpt does not explain how the book addresses the marriage or its aftermath. The item is a short video, listed as 1 minute and 15 seconds, issued on 22 September 2026 and modified later that day. Stella Elgersma is credited for the video. The page also provides keywords and related UK news links, but those are not part of the report’s substantive account. Overall, the available text is a concise, factual introduction to a royal-family dispute and a memoir that has brought it back into public discussion. Because the video transcript or further reporting is not included, a fuller account of the allegations, responses, and consequences would require material beyond this excerpt.

France 24 reports that a new book written by the brother of the late Princess Diana has triggered renewed controversy surrounding the British royal family. Published on Tuesday, the book has attracted international attention because it reportedly contains damaging allegations about Diana’s former husband, Charles III, who is now King of the United Kingdom. According to the brief report, the publication has also reopened long-standing tensions and painful disputes connected to Diana’s marriage and its aftermath. The report frames the book as a significant development in the continuing public discussion of Diana, Charles, and the history of the modern British monarchy. Its description suggests that the allegations may intensify scrutiny of the king and reignite debates about events that have remained sensitive for decades. However, the supplied article text does not provide the book’s title, identify Diana’s brother by name, or detail the specific allegations made against Charles. It also does not include responses from Buckingham Palace, King Charles III, or other members of the royal family. The item is presented as a video report lasting approximately five minutes, with London correspondent Benedicte Paviot providing the details for France 24. Overall, the report’s central point is that the book has revived a deeply contentious chapter in royal history and generated renewed media interest in the relationship between Princess Diana and the man who later became king. The article is primarily informational, but its language emphasizes the seriousness and potentially explosive nature of the allegations and their impact on the royal family.

Charles Spencer’s new book, “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” has renewed a long-running dispute between Princess Diana’s family and the British royal household. Spencer alleges that, before Diana’s 1997 funeral, he argued with her then-husband, Prince Charles, about whether their young sons, William and Harry, should walk behind her coffin. He says Charles reacted angrily and made a dismissive remark about Diana. Spencer also accuses Charles of showing contempt for Diana and appearing elated after her death. Buckingham Palace issued an unusually forceful response, suggesting that grief may affect Spencer’s judgment and memory; Spencer says he stands by his account. The book also revisits Diana and Charles’s troubled marriage. Spencer writes that Diana tried to end their engagement after learning Charles had bought a bracelet for Camilla, and later considered withdrawing from the wedding. He describes Diana’s suicidal thoughts and blames paparazzi for contributing to the car crash that killed her. He also criticizes the royal family’s care of the young Prince Harry after the funeral, while drawing comparisons between Diana’s treatment by the press and the media attention Harry and Meghan face today. The article places the dispute in the broader history of strained relations between the Spencers and the royals, including Spencer’s funeral eulogy and public criticism of the monarchy’s response to Diana’s death. It notes mixed reactions to the book: some readers are eager to hear Spencer’s perspective, while British newspapers have sharply criticized the work. Spencer has apologized for at least one factual error after Piers Morgan threatened legal action, though Morgan says he still intends to sue. The book is being published internationally and translated into 12 languages.