A war has begun between Charles Spencer and King Charles III over shocking claims surrounding the late Princess Diana.
The former Princess of Wales’s younger brother, Charles Spencer, is all set to publish a bombshell memoir, called Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which he claims will unveil the “untruth” about his beloved sister, nearly three decades after her tragic death in 1997.
In one of the claims made in the book, excerpts of which have made it to the internet, the 9th Earl Spencer has alleged that following Diana’s death, at the time of her funeral, a shocking war of words happened between him and the King Charles III, then-Prince of Wales, regarding whether the young Prince William and Prince Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin.
Princess Diana’s brother shared that he opposed the idea because he believed his sister would not have wanted her young songs to face such an intense public moment.
Earl Spencer then penned that King Charles "continued his stream of anger, without me interrupting" before falling silent, and then making that horrific statement, “Rest assured. We’ll forget her soon enough!”
Did Prince Harry know about Charles Spencer’s grave allegations against King Charles III?
While a new report from The Telegraph, published on Thursday, September 17, suggests that neither Prince William and Prince Harry nor King Charles and Buckingham Palace were informed about the scathing allegations made in the memoir, the Daily Mail has revealed a different account.
According to the Daily Mail, the Duke of Sussex was “fully aware” of the claims his uncle has made in the new Diana memoir, and had discussed it with Earl Spencer during his July 2026 visit to Althorp.
However, as per a source close to the estranged prince told that he had not read the memoir, suggesting that the Duke knew about the book but apparently had not seen the specific allegations it contains.
King Charles’s response to Charles Spencer’s claim
The claim, which grabbed attention on Wednesday, September 16, soon prompted a scathing response from Buckingham Palace.
A palace spokesperson told GB News on King Charles’s behalf, "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss."
About Swan Song: Diana, My Sister
Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is a memoir by Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer about his elder sister, Princess Diana.
The book, which will be translated into 12 languages, details Charles’ childhood with the former Princess of Wales, their close relationship, challenging boarding-school experiences, and their parents’ divorce.
It also offers a look into the late Princess’s life as a royal, her marriage to then-Prince Charles, her transformation into a global celebrity, struggles with the press, and the final days that led to her death on August 31, 1997.
In the memoir, Charles Spencer also attempts to clarify the misconceptions and to tell the truth about Diana from “her brother’s perspective” as he believes various untruths about her have become accepted over time.
