Prince Harry's uncle says lack of care after Diana's funeral left him vulnerable

Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, wrote in a forthcoming memoir that he was troubled by the lack of care shown to Prince Harry, then 12, following Princess Diana’s funeral in September 1997. Spencer recalled traveling by train from London to the family estate at Althorp and observing Harry “decompressing from the ghastliness of the morning” without adequate support. He said the prince needed his mother’s hugs, which were denied, and that instead of calm and nurture, Harry was “allowed to spin out of control.”

The earl also described Harry’s appearance during the procession as “tiny, slight, and bereft,” questioning how a grieving child could endure the public ceremony. Prince Harry has previously spoken about the trauma of walking behind his mother’s coffin, stating in 2017 that no child should be asked to do so.

Spencer’s comments come as Buckingham Palace recently responded to other allegations about King Charles made in the same book. The palace said it does not comment on books but noted that grief can affect memory. Spencer has reiterated his account in a BBC interview, insisting the words attributed to Charles were accurate.

The memoir, titled “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” is scheduled for release on Tuesday.