King Charles Responds to Claims in Earl Spencer's Upcoming Memoir
King Charles issued a statement challenging allegations in Charles Spencer's forthcoming book that he wished Princess Diana would be forgotten, noting that grief can affect memory.
King Charles III issued a statement after learning of claims made in a forthcoming memoir by Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer. Spencer’s book, titled “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” alleges that the monarch said Diana would be forgotten “soon enough” following her 1997 car crash.
The palace responded that the trauma of losing a sibling can impair judgment and recollection, even many years later. "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," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told Page Six.
Spencer also recounts a conversation with an aide to the late Queen Elizabeth II in which he opposed a suggestion that Princes William and Harry would not join Diana’s funeral procession. The princes ultimately took part in the ceremony.
The memoir, set for release on Sept. 22, examines the royal couple’s marriage, their divorces and subsequent relationships, including Charles’s marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. Prince Harry, who has spoken with Spencer about the book, was reportedly not surprised by the allegations.