Earl Spencer is facing fierce backlash over his new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which features explosive allegations that King Charles sounded giddily elated after Princess Diana’s death in 1997. Buckingham Palace has issued a rare response challenging the claims, intensifying scrutiny as the royal family navigates the King’s ongoing cancer treatment.
The upcoming release of Swan Song: Diana, My Sister by Earl Charles Spencer has reignited historical tensions between the Spencer family and the British monarchy. Set for publication on September 22, the book marks the first time the 62-year-old British peer has spoken at length in print about his older sister, Princess Diana, who died at age 36 in an August 1997 car crash in Paris.
According to the publisher, the memoir aims to tell the story of Diana’s life and the tragic week of her death from an intimate vantage point. Yet the disclosures contained within its pages have already triggered sharp reactions from royal aides, historians, and the public alike.
Explosive Allegations Regarding King Charles
The most controversial passages in the memoir center on Earl Spencer’s interactions with the then Prince Charles immediately following Diana’s death. The author alleges that Charles sounded giddily elated
and comparable to a lottery winner
during an initial telephone conversation after the fatal crash, according to the BBC’s reporting on the book’s contents.
Earl Spencer further claims that during subsequent arguments over funeral arrangements at Westminster Abbey—where Spencer strongly opposed plans for 15-year-old Prince William and 12-year-old Prince Harry to walk behind their mother’s coffin—Charles told him that he could rest assured she would be forgotten soon enough.
A royal source stated via AOL.com that there was genuine shock at just how brutal those claims were and at the decision to unleash them at that time, noting that the King was still undergoing treatment for cancer yet was suddenly being dragged back into the most traumatic period of his life and confronted with allegations about what he supposedly said almost 30 years ago.
Buckingham Palace issued a rare and pointed response to the allegations, maintaining through royal insiders that the conversations never occurred as described. Supporters of the monarch emphasized that Charles was devastated by Diana’s death, heavily involved in ensuring she received proper dignity, and focused entirely on the well-being of his grieving sons.
Public Reaction and the Timing of the Memoir
The decision to publish such personal and damaging accusations while King Charles undergoes cancer treatment has drawn widespread criticism. Royal insiders noted that dragging a 77-year-old monarch back into the darkest period of his life struck many observers as unnecessarily cruel.
Historian and author Sir Anthony Seldon acknowledged Earl Spencer’s courage at the time of Diana’s 1997 funeral but dismissed the new project, calling the memoir a sad and unnecessary publication.
Meanwhile, royal commentator Richard Palmer warned that the book threatens to take the royals back to the difficult days of 1997 and undermines three decades of work rehabilitating the images of Charles and Camilla.
Public opinion appears sharply divided over the claims. YouGov published the first opinion poll on the controversy, revealing that 31% of respondents believe Earl Spencer’s allegations, 36% suspect they are untrue, and 33% remain undecided.
Psychological Factors and Memory Under Trauma
As commentators debate whose recollection to trust, mental health experts have weighed in on how trauma impacts human memory across decades. Psychotherapist Nick Hatter noted that memories can become significantly distorted during high-stress and traumatic events, adding that phone conversations lack crucial visual clues and body language necessary for a complete understanding.
Hatter also pointed to complex grief responses, including a condition known as bereavement mania, where individuals can temporarily appear inappropriately hyper or euphoric following a profound loss.
Motivation Behind the Publication
Earl Spencer maintained that he pursued the project because the approaching 30th anniversary of Diana’s death brought a relentless wave of interview requests. He stated that he preferred to set down his own thoughts rather than endure the discomfort of reading accounts based on inaccuracies that have ossified into accepted history over time.
Whether the book alters public perception remains an open question. Publishing experts suggest that readers have largely entrenched themselves in fixed opinions regarding Charles and the Diana years long before these new revelations came to light.