Overview
- Excerpts serialised by the Daily Mail this week report that Charles Spencer says he argued with the then‑Prince Charles about whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind Diana’s coffin and that Charles replied, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
- Buckingham Palace responded with a rare, pointed statement saying the pain of fraternal grief can ‘cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory,’ directly questioning Spencer’s long‑term recollection of events.
- Further published passages portray the then‑Prince Charles as having sounded ‘giddily elated’ on the night of Diana’s death and include sensitive claims about Diana’s mental health and visits to the cliffs at Beachy Head.
- Publishers and reporters say the memoir’s release has been amplified by pre‑publication leaks and reports that a small number of copies were stolen in the Netherlands, prompting inquiries and heightened media attention.
- The full memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is due Sept 22 and the exchange between the palace and Spencer could intensify public debate over the royal family’s handling of Diana’s death, the treatment of her sons and the monarchy’s public messaging.