Earl Spencer claimed in his memoir that a 12-year-old Prince Harry suffered from a lack of care after Princess Diana’s September 1997 funeral, alleging the grieving royal was allowed to spin out of control. Buckingham Palace responded unusually by citing fraternal grief.
Decades after the global mourning that followed the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, new recollections from within the family continue to draw sharp divides. Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, has published explicit memories in his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,
pointing to what he describes as a failure to protect his young nephew in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
The Harrowing Procession and the Vulnerability of a 12-Year-Old
The book recounts the events of September 1997, particularly the funeral procession where young Prince Harry and his 15-year-old brother, Prince William, walked behind their mother’s coffin alongside their father, then-Prince Charles, Prince Philip, and Earl Spencer. The earl described the march as the most harrowing experience of my life,
noting that the raw vulnerability of the younger prince left an indelible mark on him according to serialized excerpts.
“I could not get over how tiny, and slight, and bereft, Harry looked. Too small to be doing this, I thought, and wondered how on earth this heartbroken child could bear the ordeal of that moment, or how he could possibly be expected to deal with the agony that the day ahead would insist upon.”
Charles Spencer, author and 9th Earl Spencer
While William appeared more composed, Earl Spencer noted that his elder nephew’s apparent maturity made Harry his primary emotional concern that morning. Spencer recalled finding a quiet moment during the procession out of sight to lean down and tell the 12-year-old, You’re doing bloody brilliantly!
as detailed in the publication’s coverage.
The Train Journey to Althorp and Claims of Abandonment
The core of the earl’s critique centers on the journey away from London toward the Spencer family estate at Althorp in Northamptonshire, where Diana was ultimately buried. Away from the public eye, the young prince had to decompress from the pressure of the morning as reported in royal excerpts.
“My chief memory of that train journey is of being concerned at the lack of obvious care for Harry, as he decompressed from the ghastliness of the morning. He needed Diana’s hugs, of course, and they would forever be denied him. But instead of calm and nurture, he was allowed to spin out of control.”
Charles Spencer, author and 9th Earl Spencer
Spencer reflected that a more protective approach during those hours might have changed the trajectory of Harry’s youth given the isolation the boy faced. Instead, the young prince appeared entirely alone in his despair.
Buckingham Palace Breaks Silence Over Memoir Revelations
The serialization of Swan Song
has triggered a public response from the royal establishment. In addition to allegations regarding funeral arrangements and past conversations involving King Charles, the palace issued a rare formal statement addressing the claims.
“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