Updated

Updated · BBC.com · Sep 21

Earl Spencer's Diana Memoir Tops Amazon Charts as Palace Rebuts Claims About Charles

Updated

Updated · BBC.com · Sep 21

Earl Spencer's Diana Memoir Tops Amazon Charts as Palace Rebuts Claims About Charles

Q: What secret evidence might Charles Spencer hold to back up his explosive claims about the King's reaction to Diana's tragic death?

The strongest evidence Charles Spencer appears to have is not a recording or document, but contemporaneous corroboration: he says he immediately repeated King Charles’s alleged remarks to family and close friends because they were “so monstrous.” That means those people could potentially confirm that Spencer gave the same account at the time, long before this memoir. He has also stressed that the call stands out in his memory because he says he spoke to the then-Prince Charles only twice in his life, making him “hyper alert” to the exact wording. In interviews, he has insisted the disputed phrase — “we’ll forget her soon enough” — is “precisely” what was said, and he points to his reaction in the moment, saying he was so shocked that he hung up. There are hints he may have kept notes more broadly. Reporting around the memoir describes Spencer as someone with a habit of keeping notes, and one funeral-related episode in the book refers to a handwritten note he made at the time. That does not prove he has a written record of the phone call itself, but it raises the possibility that he may have some contemporaneous written material. So far, though, no tape, diary entry or written transcript of the call has been produced publicly. At present, the most concrete backing Spencer has disclosed is his own detailed recollection, his claim that he told others immediately afterward, and the possibility of notes from that period.

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Sep 21

Six days of accusations and denials have pushed Earl Spencer's Diana memoir up Amazon's bestseller rankings even before its official publication.
Buckingham Palace has forcefully challenged Spencer's account, with the dispute centering on his claims that King Charles was callous after Diana's death.
The book broadens that attack by portraying Charles as jealous of Diana's popularity and depicting the royal family as cold, while also recounting Spencer's efforts to shield his funeral eulogy from royal or press interference.
Beyond the palace feud, Swan Song adds fresh Diana-era details — from family clashes at Althorp to allegations involving Mohamed Fayed — while largely avoiding Prince William and Prince Harry.
The memoir is shaping up as the biggest royal publishing flashpoint since Prince Harry's 2023 Spare, reviving long-running arguments over Diana's treatment by the monarchy and media.