Earl Spencer has alleged that King Charles made a “monstrous” remark during a telephone call shortly after the death of Princess Diana in 1997. The claim, detailed in the Earl’s new memoir, has prompted a rare and pointed public response from Buckingham Palace, suggesting that the “pain of fraternal grief” may have distorted his recollection of events.
Writing in his memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Charles Spencer claims that during a heated discussion regarding funeral arrangements, the then-Prince of Wales told him: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
The alleged exchange occurred during a disagreement over whether Prince William and Prince Harry, then aged 15 and 12, should walk behind their mother’s coffin in the funeral procession. Earl Spencer has long maintained his opposition to the young princes taking part in the walk, a move he previously described as “cruel”.
Palace issues rare rebuttal
Buckingham Palace took the unusual step of issuing a statement on 16 September 2026 to address the claims. While the Palace generally declines to comment on private memoirs, officials suggested that the passage of time and the trauma of the period might have affected the Earl’s memory.
A spokesperson stated that “fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory”. In response, Earl Spencer has doubled down on his account, describing his memory of the specific phone call as “precise” and questioning whether the King was “furious or embarrassed” by the disclosure.
The memoir also contains claims regarding the initial reaction of the late Queen Elizabeth II to the news of the car crash in Paris. According to the book, the Queen reacted “tetchily” when first informed, allegedly asking: “What is she up to now?”
A report by The Guardian notes that the Earl has continued to defend his version of events despite the Palace’s intervention, maintaining that the “monstrous” comment was a defining moment in his relationship with the Royal Family.
Broadcast interview and publication
The claims come as the memoir is being serialised in the Daily Mail ahead of its full publication next week. Further details of the Spencer family’s perspective on the aftermath of Diana’s death are expected to be revealed in a television interview.
Earl Spencer is scheduled to appear in a full interview on BBC One at 6:30pm on Sunday, 20 September 2026. During the programme, he is expected to discuss his motivation for writing the book and his ongoing commitment to protecting his sister’s legacy.
The King has not personally commented on the allegations, with the Palace statement remaining the sole official response to the book’s contents. Legal and royal commentators have noted that the direct nature of the Palace’s rebuttal highlights the sensitivity of the claims regarding the King’s private conduct during a period of national mourning.
