Diana Memoir Sparks New Royal Rift

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.

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.

A new memoir by Charles Spencer, the late Princess Diana’s brother, has reignited tensions with Britain’s royal family by making serious allegations about King Charles III. In “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” Spencer recounts a confrontation with the then-Prince Charles before Diana’s 1997 funeral. He says he objected to plans for the young Princes William and Harry to walk behind their mother’s coffin, arguing that Diana would not have wanted them subjected to such an ordeal. Spencer claims Charles reacted angrily and told him, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” The book also accuses Charles of holding Diana in contempt and of appearing elated after her death. Buckingham Palace issued an unusually forceful response, saying that “the pain of fraternal grief” can distort judgment and memory, even many years later. Spencer has rejected the palace’s characterization and defended his account, asking whether the king is furious or embarrassed. The dispute has revived public memories of Charles and Diana’s troubled marriage, their 1996 divorce, and the royal family’s handling of the intense global grief after Diana died in a Paris car crash. Spencer has long criticized the royals, including in a funeral eulogy in which he pledged that Diana’s “blood family” would protect her legacy and help raise her sons. Spencer also criticizes what he describes as the royal family’s insufficient care for Harry after the funeral and compares the press treatment of Harry and Meghan with the media scrutiny Diana endured. He says he wrote the memoir to set down his own memories rather than continue encountering what he considers inaccurate accounts. Penguin Press plans to publish the book globally in 12 languages.