Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, accused King Charles of gaslighting him following a Buckingham Palace statement regarding excerpts from his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The escalating public feud centers on contested accounts of conversations following Diana’s 1997 death and funeral arrangements.
The royal family faces fresh controversy ahead of the September 22 publication date for Charles Spencer’s new book. The memoir details the breakdown of the marriage between the then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana, alongside the tumultuous aftermath of her death in a Paris car crash in 1997. Buckingham Palace issued a forceful public pushback after initial excerpts emerged, prompting an indignant response from the earl.
The Palace Response and the Accusation of Gaslighting
The dispute ignited after the Daily Mail published extracts from the upcoming book detailing a heated phone call between the two men concerning Diana’s funeral arrangements. According to the book, the then-Prince Charles told the earl that Diana would soon be forgotten during a disagreement over whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin. Buckingham Palace issued a statement addressing the claims without directly denying whether the words were spoken.
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.
Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Charles Spencer rejected the palace’s positioning. He described the statement as astonishingly provocative and below the belt because it attempted to cast doubt on his truthfulness without the king issuing a direct denial.
It is not every day you wake up to find you’ve been gaslit by the King.
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer
The earl also compared the palace’s phrasing to Queen Elizabeth II’s response of recollections may vary regarding allegations made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, calling the king’s statement a poor imitation that was entirely out of place.
The memoir touches on multiple sensitive episodes from the royal marriage and its aftermath. In additional excerpts serialized in the press, Spencer alleges that the future monarch sounded giddily elated and like a lottery winner during a phone call immediately following Diana’s death. He suggests the reaction stemmed from the prince feeling free to pursue Camilla, now Queen Camilla.
When questioned about his evidence for the alleged we’ll forget her soon enough remark, Spencer told the BBC that he immediately shared the incident with close friends and family because he found the comment monstrous. He maintained that his primary responsibility as a historian is to tell the truth and denied that financial gain motivated the publication.
Beyond the friction with the palace, Spencer used media appearances to draw parallels between the media scrutiny faced by Princess Diana and the treatment endured by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Photo: Nbcnews
As the memoir’s release date approaches, royal analysts note that Buckingham Palace must weigh the risks of further engagement. With additional serialization expected, the institution faces a delicate balancing act as public attention returns to events surrounding the 1997 tragedy.
Princess Diana’s brother makes explosive claims about King Charles | ABC NEWS
