Overview
- In excerpts serialised by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Earl Charles Spencer says that days after Diana's 1997 death the then‑Prince of Wales told him, "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough," during a row over whether Princes William and Harry should walk in the funeral procession.
- Buckingham Palace issued an unusually direct statement questioning the reliability of memories shaped by fraternal grief, saying such pain can "cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory," while declining to comment further on books as a rule.
- Spencer has repeatedly defended his account in broadcast interviews, telling the BBC he is "telling the truth" and that he told friends and family about the remark at the time because it was so striking.
- Publishers reported several advance copies were stolen from a truck in the Netherlands and Dutch authorities have opened an investigation into the theft, increasing the chance of further pre‑release leaks and coverage.
- Polling shows the British public is divided over the claim and the dispute may shape public memory of Diana and official handling of her legacy as the book reaches stores and the 30th anniversary of her death approaches next year.