Buckingham Palace has issued an unusually strong statement pushing back against explosive claims made by Earl Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, about King Charles‘s conduct in the days following her death in 1997. The rare public rebuke came after excerpts from Spencer’s upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, were published in the Daily Mail, alleging that the then-Prince Charles told him, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
The Claim at the Center of the Dispute
Earl Spencer‘s memoir, set for release on September 22, 2026, alleges that during a heated phone call about the funeral arrangements for Princess Diana, the then-Prince Charles subjected him to what he describes as a “stream of anger.” The dispute reportedly centered on whether Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, then aged 15 and 12, should walk behind their mother’s coffin during the funeral procession.
In the published excerpt, Spencer writes:
“He 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!’”
Spencer says he responded with disbelief, telling the future king, “I can’t believe you just said that,” before hanging up.
Buckingham Palace’s Unusual Response
Buckingham Palace typically does not comment on books, but the nature of the allegation prompted a swift and pointed response. 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.”
The statement, issued late on Wednesday, September 16, was widely interpreted as casting doubt on the accuracy of Spencer’s memory. UK media noted that the language echoed Queen Elizabeth II‘s famous 2021 response to claims of racism in the royal family from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, when she said that “some recollections may vary”.
Former Aides and Royal Experts React
Julian Payne, who served as communications secretary to Charles on the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death in 2017, told the BBC that he found the alleged comment hard to believe.
“It’s just not language that I recognise,” Payne said, adding that the “highly unusual” statement from the Palace demonstrated the “strength of feeling” within the monarchy about the claim.
Roya Nikkhah, royal editor of the Sunday Times, told the BBC that the Palace felt it could not stay silent this time.
“Sometimes the palace have to weigh up whether or not they want to just leave things and adopt the never complain, never explain mantra,” she said. “But I don’t think that would have washed in this scenario. It’s too big a claim”.
Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said Charles is “clearly absolutely incandescent” over the allegations. Jennie Bond, another former royal correspondent, described the situation as “pure war now,” adding that it can only hurt William and Harry, who “love their father and probably undoubtedly love their uncle as well”.
Prince William and Prince Harry’s Positions
Prince William is reportedly deeply upset by the claims in his uncle’s memoir. Royal experts have described the contents as “incredibly upsetting” to the Prince of Wales. Neither William nor Harry nor Buckingham Palace were informed about the contents of the book in advance, as security around the final manuscript was reportedly very tight.
Prince Harry was “aware” of the book’s existence but had not read it, according to a source close to the Duke of Sussex. The source indicated that Harry was given advance warning about the memoir but did not see a copy before publication. When a journalist asked Harry about his uncle’s book as he arrived at an Invictus Games event in London, the Duke did not respond and continued into the venue.
Both William and Harry have previously spoken about how difficult it was to walk behind their mother’s coffin. Harry said in 2017 that it is something no child “should be asked to do”.
Earl Spencer’s Social Media Activity
Hours after Buckingham Palace issued its statement, Earl Spencer took to Instagram and shared a photo of a peacock standing on a wall at what appeared to be Althorp House, the Spencer family estate. He did not directly address the Palace’s response in the post.
Prior to the book’s release, Spencer said:
“The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective … I want to speak on Diana’s behalf and do so in an openly positive way”.
The Book and Its Contents
Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is scheduled for publication on September 22, 2026, in the UK and internationally. The book will be published in the U.S. by Penguin Press and is set to be translated into 12 languages. The memoir recounts Diana’s life from the perspective of her younger brother, Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, who is now 62 years old.
Beyond the “forget her soon enough” claim, excerpts from the book also allege that Charles sounded “giddily elated” in a phone call after Diana’s death. Spencer writes that he suspects 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”.
Security Breach Before Publication
Days before the book’s release, four copies of the Dutch-language edition of Swan Song were stolen from a lorry in the Netherlands. The books were reportedly taken during a raid, raising concerns about whether the contents could be leaked ahead of the official publication date.
Public Opinion Divided
A YouGov poll conducted after the claims were published found the British public divided. 31% of respondents believed Earl Spencer‘s account, 36% disbelieved him, and 33% said they did not know. Royal fans have also expressed anger at the timing of the book’s release, with some urging Spencer to “think about George and Charlotte,” William‘s children.
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A Crowded Day for the Royal Family
The row unfolded on a particularly busy day for the royals. King Charles hosted a summit at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, where he warned of the “existential dangers” of AI systems falling into the wrong hands, addressing leaders from firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, and Google DeepMind.
Prince William and Kate Middleton carried out their first official visit to the Isle of Bute in Scotland, while Prince Harry made his first major public appearance since returning to the UK, attending an Invictus Games event in London. The Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle moved back to the UK from the US last month.
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