Earl Spencer Defends Claims About King Charles
In a BBC interview, Earl Spencer detailed his claims about King Charles's behavior after Diana's death, including a 'giddy tone' during a phone call. He released a memoir as his 'final word' on his sister.
Earl Spencer has publicly defended his memoir 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister' in a BBC interview, asserting his account of King Charles's behavior after Princess Diana's death is truthful. The controversy has escalated into a rare public dispute between Buckingham Palace and the Spencer family, with the Palace issuing an unusually strong statement questioning Spencer's memory and motives.
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Earl Spencer's specific claims about King Charles's phone call
Earl Spencer claims that during a phone call after Diana's death, the then-Prince Charles said 'We'll forget her soon enough' after Spencer objected to the princes walking behind the coffin. Spencer also described Charles's tone as 'giddy' and 'light,' comparing it to a 'lottery winner' in his book. He told the BBC he hung up on Charles after the comment, saying 'I cannot believe you just said that.' [1] [3] [5]
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Buckingham Palace's rare and forceful response
Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying the King is 'mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise.' The Palace did not explicitly deny the claims but questioned Spencer's recollection. BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg noted the statement was a 'total contrast' to the Palace's usual 'never explain, never complain' approach. [1] [3]
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Piers Morgan threatens legal action over factual inaccuracies
Piers Morgan announced he will sue Earl Spencer for defamation, claiming the book falsely states Morgan published gym photos of Diana. Morgan pointed out the photos were published by the Sunday Mirror in November 1993, nearly two years before he became editor of the Daily Mirror in October 1995, and that he was working at the Sun at the time. Morgan called the claims 'fabricated inaccuracies' and said Spencer's credibility is undermined. [7]
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Book sales surge amid controversy and additional revelations
Even before its official publication, 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister' was 'racing up the Amazon best-seller chart,' according to the BBC. The book includes claims that Diana pushed her stepmother Raine Spencer down a staircase after Raine insulted her intelligence, and that King Charles was jealous of Diana's public popularity. The book also alleges a 'senior courtier' reported the late Queen saying Charles 'even resented it when I taught him the alphabet.' [6]
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Earl Spencer's eulogy as a direct rebuttal to Charles's comment
Earl Spencer revealed that his famous eulogy at Diana's funeral, which included the line that her qualities would never be 'extinguished from our minds,' was a 'direct rebuttal' of Charles's alleged comment that she would be forgotten. He also said he personally called tabloid editors to disinvite them from the funeral after invitations had been sent, and pretended to lose his speech at rehearsal so no one could tone it down. [1] [6]
