Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, has made explosive claims in his upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,
set for publication on September 22, 2026, according to Yahoo. In a preview shared with the Fox News, the 9th Earl of Spencer recalled that Princess Diana invited him to lunch to tell him she planned to divorce then-Prince Charles because she was convinced her husband was in love with his valet,
as reported by BollywoodShaadis.
Earl Charles Spencer Publishes Memoir Excerpt Featuring Diana Claims
According to the excerpt, Spencer replied to the news by telling his sister that he supported her, but expressed worry that the public would wrongly blame her for destroying the fairytale. Diana reportedly looked up and responded, But, Carlos, my husband is in love with his valet.
Spencer wrote that he gulped and replied, Well, I guess, in that case, you really don’t have a choice.
The author noted that Diana did not name the staff member, and he never asked who she meant or why she believed it, writing that it was not important: the end of her marriage, and of her dreams, was.
Revisiting Diana’s Marriage and the 1995 Panorama Interview
The new memoir brings fresh attention to the breakdown of the royal marriage and Diana’s famous 1995 BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir, where she stated, There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.
That remark was widely understood as a reference to Charles’ long-running relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he later married in 2005. During the same interview, Diana also publicly admitted to having an extra-marital affair with former British Army officer and riding instructor James Hewitt.
When asked if he tried to be faithful and honorable during the marriage, Charles replied that he did until it became irretrievably broken down, adding that Mrs. Parker Bowles was a great friend who would continue to be one. Diana and Charles separated in 1992 and remained legally married until their 1996 divorce, which followed Queen Elizabeth II urging the couple to divorce after the RadarOnline report on the Panorama interview. The book’s account of the valet conversation introduces a separate private claim, though the memoir does not indicate that the valet allegation was what Diana meant during her televised interview.
Buckingham Palace Response and Earl Spencer’s Defense
Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement responding to claims in the memoir, though it focused broadly on fraternal grief. 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 color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss,
the statement read.
Earl Spencer fired back during an appearance on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg,
stating that he felt gaslit
by the monarch and calling the palace’s response astonishingly provocative and below the belt. Spencer stood by his account, emphasizing that he was hyper-alert and repeating the alleged comment to close friends and family members immediately afterward. Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.