Earl Spencer’s upcoming memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister reignites tensions with the British royal family, alleging King Charles III made dismissive remarks about Princess Diana shortly after her 1997 death, according to reports from BBC and news.de.
Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s younger brother, has reignited a decades-old royal controversy with his new memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, set for release on September 22, 2026. The book alleges that then-Prince Charles, now King Charles III, made reportedly callous remarks about Diana following her fatal Paris car crash in August 1997, a claim the palace has indirectly denied.
The alleged conversation centers on a phone call between Spencer and Charles in the aftermath of Diana’s death, during which Spencer claims the monarch allegedly said, We'll forget her soon enough.
The phrase is presented as part of a broader dispute over how to honor Diana’s memory. The royal family has not directly addressed the claim, but a Buckingham Palace statement implied the conversation never occurred as described, noting, mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways that others do not recognise.
Earl Spencer's Diana book opens old wounds royals would
Psychotherapist Nick Hatter, cited in the BBC report, explained that traumatic events can distort memories, particularly in phone conversations lacking visual cues. There can be very different and unpredictable responses to grief,
he said, referencing bereavement mania, a condition where individuals may appear inappropriately hyper or even euphoric after loss. The book’s release has sparked a YouGov poll showing 31% of respondents believe Spencer’s account, 36% suspect it’s not true and 33% saying they don’t know.
The memoir’s release has drawn sharp criticism from royal commentators. Historian and author Sir Anthony Seldon called it a sad and unnecessary publication,
while royal commentator Richard Palmer warned it could undermine the monarchy’s efforts to rehabilitate Charles and Camilla’s image. This book and the run-up to next year’s 30th anniversary of Diana’s death threaten to undermine the Royal Household’s three decades of work to rehabilitate Charles and Camilla’s image,
Palmer said.
Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby, who led the BBC’s coverage of Diana’s funeral, questioned the timing of the book’s release. Why 30 years later for God’s sake you should do it… you have to ask him,
he said on Radio 4’s Today programme. The book also revisits a 1997 dispute over whether Diana’s sons, Princes William and Harry, should walk behind her coffin. Spencer claimed Charles argued for the procession, citing his own experience at his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten’s funeral in 1979, but Spencer resisted, believing Diana would not want her children subjected to public grief.
Neues Buch "Swan Song
Spencer’s account details a heated exchange during which Charles, then the Prince of Wales, reportedly said, Sei versichert, wir werden sie bald genug vergessen!
. The Earl described the moment as sounding “giddily elated” and like a “lottery winner”. The conversation, according to Spencer, escalated after he refused to allow William and Harry to participate in the procession, citing their age—15 and 12, respectively—compared to Charles’s 30 years at the time of his great-uncle’s funeral.
The Buckingham Palace statement emphasized that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways that others do not recognise.
The palace’s response indirectly denied Spencer’s account, though it did not explicitly refute the quote.
The book’s release date—September 22, 2026—coincides with the year before Princess Diana’s 30th death anniversary. While some experts doubt it will sway public opinion, others see it as a reminder of the enduring emotional weight of royal scandals. As the monarchy navigates this renewed debate, the question remains: how will Charles III’s legacy be shaped by these revelations?
News.de’s Royales Rauschen
podcast has also highlighted the controversy, reflecting the ongoing public interest in the royal family’s internal conflicts. The memoir’s publication follows recent events, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their children returning to the UK from California, adding to the volatile landscape of royal public relations.