Spencer Says Palace Response to Diana Memoir Left Him Shocked

Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, has publicly responded to Buckingham Palace's rare statement about his forthcoming memoir, saying the reaction left him both upset and shocked.

In an interview with ABC News' Maggie Rulli for Good Morning America, Spencer addressed the Palace's comments, which followed the publication of excerpts from the book ahead of its 22 September release.

"Well, it's not every day you're gaslit by a king, but I was really upset with that because I thought it was very, not only condescending, but not straight," Spencer said. "What I said is straight and true. And what did they come back with? That. It doesn't say he didn't say it either. That's what I found interesting. I was really shocked, actually."

The claim at the centre of the dispute

In Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Spencer recounts a disagreement with the then-Prince Charles over arrangements for Diana's funeral in 1997. According to his account, Charles told him, "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough."

Spencer has said he remembers the conversation clearly. The exchange is said to have taken place shortly after Diana died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997, at the age of 36.

The claim drew an unusually direct response from Buckingham Palace, which generally does not comment on books about members of the Royal Family. The Palace said King Charles was mindful that "the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory".

Spencer has interpreted that statement as an attempt to cast doubt on his recollection rather than a direct denial that the conversation took place.

What the memoir covers

Swan Song: Diana, My Sister revisits Diana's life from her brother's perspective, covering her childhood, her marriage to Charles, her experience of motherhood, the intense media scrutiny she faced and the aftermath of her death.

The book also examines the events surrounding her funeral. Spencer has written that he objected to Princes William and Harry, then 15 and 12, walking behind their mother's coffin during the procession, saying he believed Diana would not have wanted her young sons placed at the centre of such an emotionally difficult public event.

Spencer's relationship with Diana has long kept him close to one of the most scrutinised periods in the modern Royal Family's history. He delivered the eulogy at her funeral at Westminster Abbey and has continued to write and speak about his sister's life and legacy.

Neither Prince William nor Prince Harry has publicly commented on the claims in the memoir. The book is due to be published on 22 September, with the Palace's response and Spencer's subsequent remarks adding a new layer to the long-running scrutiny surrounding Diana's final years and death.