RismadarVoice Reporters
September 20, 2026
The Earl Spencer, brother of the late Princess Diana, has accused King Charles of attempting to undermine his account of an alleged argument following Diana’s death.
Mr Spencer made the allegation in a series of interviews following the publication of extracts from his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
In the book, the earl claims that then-Prince Charles told him, during a disagreement over Diana’s funeral arrangements, that the family would “forget her soon enough.”
Buckingham Palace disputed the account, saying the King recognised that grief could affect a person’s recollection of events.
In a statement, the palace said the pain of losing a sibling could “cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory” even many years after the event.
Mr Spencer, however, has rejected the suggestion that his recollection may have been affected by grief.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, he accused the King of “gaslighting” him and said the response implied that he had fabricated the account.
He described the palace’s statement as provocative and argued that it amounted to an accusation that he had lied without directly challenging the substance of his claim.
The earl has also maintained in a separate BBC interview that he immediately told close friends and family about the alleged exchange because he considered the remark deeply disturbing.
Mr Spencer’s account relates to discussions over whether Prince William and Prince Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession in 1997.
The earl eventually walked alongside the two princes, then-Prince Charles and the Duke of Edinburgh, during the procession.
In another section of his memoir, Mr Spencer recalled the journey by train from London to the Spencer family home at Althorp following the funeral.
He said he was concerned about Harry’s emotional state and believed the young prince needed greater care and reassurance following the loss of his mother.
Mr Spencer said Harry was instead allowed to become increasingly distressed after what had been an emotionally difficult day.
Earl compares media treatment of Harry and Meghan with Diana
The Earl has also drawn comparisons between the media treatment of Prince Harry and Meghan and the scrutiny faced by Diana during her lifetime.
In an interview with the BBC, he said some newspaper coverage of Diana, Harry and Meghan had been particularly harsh.
Mr Spencer said the experience of his sister should serve as a lesson for those covering members of the Royal Family.
He added that he was not speaking on behalf of Harry and Meghan but said sustained negative media coverage could have a damaging effect on anyone subjected to it.
Harry has previously criticised the media scrutiny directed at him and his wife and has blamed the intense press attention for contributing to difficulties in their lives.
The dispute has emerged as members of the Royal Family continue with their public engagements.
On Saturday, Queen Camilla attended an event at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire to mark the first day of the festival organised by The Queen’s Reading Room, the literary charity she founded.
Speaking at the event, Camilla highlighted the value of books and described Chatsworth House, which houses a library containing more than 17,000 books, as a place that felt like home.
Mr Spencer’s memoir, which contains further accounts of his relationship with the Royal Family and the aftermath of Diana’s death, is scheduled for publication next week.
