Diana's brother claims Queen reacted sharply to car crash news and King was "embarrassed" by his behavior

Charles Spencer, Earl of Spencer, has said his memoir contains new revelations about the royal family’s reaction to Princess Diana’s 1997 car crash. He alleges that Queen Elizabeth II asked "What is she up to now?" in a "tetchy" tone when first told of the accident, before its seriousness was clear. The earl also claims the Queen later offered to restore Diana’s HRH title after her funeral, an offer he rejected as a "consolation award."

Spencer says King Charles told him he was "embarrassed" by his own behavior in the hours after Diana’s death, describing his reaction as "giddily elated" and likening it to a lottery winner’s excitement. The earl asserts that these statements were made in phone conversations shortly after the tragedy.

Buckingham Palace has responded by noting that grief can affect judgment, while a royal commentator suggested the timing of the memoir’s release may be intended to coincide with recent media attention on the Sussex couple. The memoir, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is scheduled for publication on 22 September after a serialisation in a newspaper.

"I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said," Spencer told the BBC, reaffirming his belief that he is presenting the truth.

The book also includes Spencer’s recollections of Diana’s funeral, which he described as a "form of mental torture," and his belief that Charles, William and Harry should not have attended. Critics have described the claims as sensational and have called for verification of the earl’s accounts.