Charles Spencer’s Diana Memoir Sparks Rare Pushback From Buckingham Palace

Decades after her death, Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, is releasing a memoir titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, set for publication on Sept. 22, 2026. The book has already triggered a pre-emptive Buckingham Palace response and a wave of controversial royal revelations concerning King Charles.

When a forthcoming memoir moves Buckingham Palace to issue a pre-emptive statement before the book even hits shelves, the royal household is signaling a level of alarm that did not even occur when Prince Harry released his candid autobiography, Spare, in 2023. Earl Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess of Wales, is preparing to publish his account of his sister’s life and death.

Buckingham Palace Pushes Back Against Memoir Allegations

The palace broke its customary silence with an unusually firm rebuttal after excerpts from the book surfaced in the press. The published passages detail intense friction surrounding the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death in the early morning hours of Aug. 31, 1997, when a vehicle carrying Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed, and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones crashed inside Paris’ Pont de l’Alma tunnel.

“While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, 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.”

Buckingham Palace spokesperson, via BBC and USA TODAY

Spencer addressed the palace’s statement during an interview on Good Morning America, telling viewers that he felt gaslit by the King while emphasizing that the statement stopped short of denying the actual words attributed to him.

Explosive Phone Calls and Funeral Disputes

Among the most contentious claims in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister are accounts of conversations between Spencer and then-Prince Charles immediately following the fatal crash. Spencer writes that Charles sounded giddily elated — like a lottery winner, as reported by NBC News and detailed in excerpts. Spencer interprets that reaction through the lens of their strained history, suggesting the future king may have initially viewed the tragedy as a release from an unhappy marriage rather than registering the human loss.

King Charles Accused of Gaslighting by Diana’s Brother Over Memoir Claims

The friction extended to funeral planning. When a senior aide to Queen Elizabeth informed Spencer that 15-year-old Prince William and 12-year-old Prince Harry would participate in the royal funeral procession, Spencer noted his immediate objection, telling them, That’s not going to happen. Charles subsequently phoned Spencer to argue the point, citing his own experience walking in the funeral procession for his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten in 1979. When Spencer reminded Charles that he was 30 years old at the time, the prince allegedly lost his temper.

“Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough!”

King Charles, then Prince of Wales, quoted in memoirs by Earl Charles Spencer via Daily Mail and USA TODAY

Spencer writes that this telephone exchange unleashed his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death. Spencer responded with disbelief before abruptly hanging up.

Earl Spencer accuses King Charles of gaslighting over Diana death comments

Queen Elizabeth’s Initial Reaction and Unflattering Portraits

The memoir also sheds light on Queen Elizabeth II’s initial perspective. According to Spencer, the late monarch’s first words upon hearing of the Paris car accident were, What is she up to now? Spencer notes in the book that the Queen likely uttered the remark before realizing the severity of the crash or that Diana had died from her injuries.

Beyond those pivotal hours, Spencer’s memoir paints an unsparing picture of King Charles, detailing incidents of perceived pettiness and long-standing family resentments. These include unverified assertions that Charles desired his mother’s abdication around the time of Diana’s death, alongside recollections of icy interactions regarding household items and family inheritances.

Timing, Motivation, and Logistics of the Book’s Launch

The decision to publish the memoir stems from a desire to reclaim the narrative ahead of a major historical milestone. Penguin Press announced on Aug. 20 that the release coincides with preparations for August 2027, which marks the 30th anniversary of the Princess of Wales’s passing.

Princess Diana’s Brother Releases Memoir Sparking Palace Rebuke

“This has convinced me to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all, rather than having the discomfort of again reading the opinions of others, many of which are based on untruths that have become accepted over time.”

Earl Charles Spencer, via Penguin Press news release and USA TODAY

Logistical hurdles already accompanied the roll-out. Penguin Random House confirmed that four copies of Swan Song were stolen from a parked truck in the Netherlands while in transit from the printer to a warehouse.

What Lies Ahead for the Royal Household

As the full contents of Swan Song: Diana, My Sister reach the public, the broader impact on the House of Windsor remains an open question. While Buckingham Palace has attempted to neutralize the memoir’s explosive claims by framing them through the lens of unresolved fraternal grief, Spencer maintains that his project represents an essential corrective to decades of public misperception. Whether additional excerpts or further palace responses will follow as serialization continues in the Daily Mail remains to be seen.