The short version
- Earl Spencer claims in a new memoir that Prince Charles sounded like a lottery winner when he called after Diana died in 1997.
- Buckingham Palace dismissed the allegations, noting that grief can distort memory and judgment even decades later.
- Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter called the claims hogwash, stating they do not align with Charles’s known character.
A new memoir by Earl Spencer has intensified scrutiny of the British royal family, specifically targeting King Charles III. The book, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, contains allegations that the late Princess of Wales’s brother believes offer a starkly different perspective on the events surrounding her death in 1997. Central to these claims is the assertion that Prince Charles, who was then the heir apparent, exhibited an inappropriate emotional response when he contacted Spencer following the fatal car crash in Paris.
According to excerpts published in the Daily Mail, Spencer recalls receiving a phone call from his sister Jane in Cape Town, South Africa, in the middle of the night on August 31, 1997. This call alerted him to the accident. Subsequent calls confirmed Diana’s death. Spencer writes that when Charles telephoned him during this period, the prince sounded giddily elated. He compared the tone of the conversation to that of a lottery winner, contrasting it sharply with the stunned silence and difficulty in articulation shown by other callers offering condolences.
Buckingham Palace responded swiftly to these assertions, issuing a statement that pushed back against the credibility of the memoir’s account. A spokesperson emphasized that while the institution does not typically comment on books, His Majesty is aware that fraternal grief can cloud reason and affect judgment. The palace noted that such emotional trauma can color memory in ways that are not immediately recognizable to others, even many years after the loss occurred. This response serves as a direct rebuttal to the characterization of Charles’s behavior.
The allegations are part of a broader narrative in Spencer’s book that interprets the motives of the royal family in a harsh light. Beyond the reaction to Diana’s death, Spencer recounts details about the couple’s troubled marriage. He claims that a friend of Diana’s told him that on the eve of their wedding in July 1981, Charles had admitted he was happy to marry her but was not actually in love with her. Spencer suggests that both spouses despaired of one another at times during their union, which ended in divorce in August 1996.
Spencer also offers new insights into Diana’s mental health struggles. He states that he now believes his sister suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, a condition characterized by intense emotional pain when facing rejection or criticism. The memoir alleges that in her later years, Diana considered suicide on multiple occasions but was deterred by her love for her sons, William and Harry. These personal revelations add a layer of psychological context to the family dynamics described in the book.
Former royal officials have strongly disputed Spencer’s account. Dickie Arbiter, who served as press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II at the time of Diana’s death and funeral, described the claims as hogwash. Arbiter told BBC Newsnight that Charles was devastated by the tragedy and that such a reaction is not in his character. He expressed confidence that there is no way the prince could have said or sounded anything like what Spencer alleges. Arbiter suggested that the King would be exasperated by the book but would continue to fulfill his duties.
The publication of these claims comes as Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, made a public appearance in Greenwich for the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards. This was his first public event since moving back to the United Kingdom. Harry posed for photographs with veterans and delivered a speech expressing excitement about meeting the award winners and nominees. He served on the judging panel alongside Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, though she did not attend the event. Representatives for Prince Harry stated they did not wish to comment on the book.
The evidence supporting Spencer’s claims rests entirely on his own recollection of conversations that took place nearly thirty years ago. The memoir presents a highly personal attack on King Charles and the institution of the monarchy, interpreting private disputes through a lens of familial grievance. It remains unclear how the public will respond to these allegations. Some may view the book as a necessary new perspective from within the Spencer family, while others may find it inappropriate to share such private conflicts so long after the events occurred.
As the book prepares for full release next week, attention turns to whether further revelations will emerge that could alter public perception of the royal family. The palace has pointed back to its initial response regarding the claim that Charles said they would forget Diana soon enough. The ongoing tension highlights the enduring impact of Diana’s death on her surviving relatives and the continued sensitivity surrounding the narrative of her final days. The coming weeks will likely see further media coverage as excerpts are serialized and public opinion forms around these contested memories.
Sources behind this briefing
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- BBC News↗Charles 'sounded giddily elated' after Diana died, Earl Spencer claims
