Earl Spencer has accused King Charles of “gaslighting” him as an explosive new TV interview has aired on Sunday evening.
Diana’s brother’s broadcast with the BBC’S Laura Kuenssberg is expected to throw up fresh allegations and details amid his war of words with Buckingham Palace.
It comes as he made a series of damning claims about the King in a new memoir chronicling the life of his sister Diana that prompted the response from the Palace, which said “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
He hit back at the King, accusing him of gaslighting him and called the response a “rather poor imitation of the ‘recollections may vary’ quote” – the late Queen’s response to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s allegations in their Oprah Winfrey interview, The Mail on Sunday reports.
“It is not every day you wake up to find you’ve been gaslit by the King,” Earl Spencer told the newspaper.
He also said there are “echoes” of the media’s treatment of Princess Diana in the way the press handles Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Buckingham Palace is bracing for new TV interviews with Earl Spencer set to be aired by BBC News on iPlayer at 4pm and BBC one at 6:30pm on Sunday.
Read MorePalace hits back at Earl Spencer’s Diana book claims: ‘Grief can cloud reason’
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Charles should have listened to his mother – ‘Never complain, never explain’
Key Points
- 'Echoes of Diana' in media's treatment of Harry and Meghan, Earl Spencer says
- Earl Spencer accuses King Charles of 'gaslighting him' over book claims
- Queen reacted 'tetchily' to news of Diana's car crash
- King Charles 'saddened that old sorrows are being dragged back up', says friend
- What are we expecting to hear in earl's TV interview?
Earl Spencer says he 'felt a lightness' in Charles' tone in first call following Diana's death
16:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainEarl Spencer said he “felt a lightness” in King Charles’ tone when he first spoke to him following the death of Princess Diana.
Charles had called the earl to inform him how he had broken the news of Diana’s death to his sons.
He added: “I was surprised at the giddiness of his tone. That’s what I’m recording there.”
Full explosive interview with Earl Spencer now live
16:07 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe BBC interview with Princess Diana’s brother the Earl Spencer is now live.
Stay tuned as we give you the latest from the interview.
Fresh Earl Spencer interview to drop amid allegations of 'gaslighting'
15:55 , Nicole Wootton-CaneA new interview with Earl Spencer is expected to be released in just a few minutes amid allegations that King Charles was “gaslighting” him.
Buckingham Palace said the King was “mindful” that grief can cloud emotions and memories in a statement following the first extract of the earl’s memoir.
Hitting back on Sunday, Earl Spencer accused the King of “gaslighting” and insisted he is telling the truth.
We’ll bring you all the latest from the interview in this blog.
What are we expecting to hear in earl's TV interview?
15:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer’s dramatic TV interview is set to air shortly, with the broadcast available on BBC iPlayer from 4pm.
In clips released from the interview, the earl doubles down on claims made in his memoir and described comments made by the King about his sister as “monstrous”.
Speaking about an alleged row over Diana’s funeral arrangements involving her sons, the earl said: “(The King) went ballistic, would be the right term, and started really going for my family as a whole, about their sense of duty, not being adequate enough, and ranted for a while, I have no idea how long, but it was a significant period, and I just listened.
“And then he stopped, and I thought, ‘Oh now he’s going to pull himself together and say something more appropriate’.
“And then he said, ‘We’ll forget her soon enough’.”
Asked whether he has “evidence” of the King’s comments, the earl told the BBC: “I told friends and family straight away, close friends and family, about what had been said, because it was so monstrous.”
He added: “I’m telling the truth.”
We’ll be expecting to hear more about these claims tonight, as well as his comments that Buckingham Palace “have not actually denied” the claims.
The interview will air on iPlayer at 4pm and BBC One at 6.30pm.
Who is Earl Spencer – and why is his new book causing controversy?
15:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer is the late Princess of Wales’ younger brother, and a British peer, author, journalist and broadcaster who succeeded his father as Viscount Althorp in 1992, aged just 27.
He is releasing a memoir titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, detailing his relationship and grief following Princess Diana's 1997 death.
The book has sent shockwaves through the royal family after Earl Spencer claimed King Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” during a row about Diana’s funeral arrangements.
The allegations prompted Buckingham Palace to release an unprecedented statement, in which King Charles said he is “mindful” that grief can cloud reason and memory.
The book will be released on Tuesday.
Watch: King Charles issues rare response to Earl Spencer’s Diana book claims
14:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneQueen reacted 'tetchily' to news of Diana's car crash
14:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer has claimed the late Queen reacted “tetchily” to the news that Princess Diana had been in a car crash before she knew of the severity.
“When the Queen had heard the first news of Diana’s being in a traffic accident, she had asked tetchily, ‘What is she up to now?’ This, before the seriousness of it all became clear,” he wrote in his memoir.
The Earl added: “After Diana’s death the Queen said she wanted Diana’s coffin to be placed in the royal burial ground at Frogmore, near Windsor Castle.
“But my family was determined that Diana must come home to Althorp. We knew she would have wanted to do so. Besides, having had her HRH title removed as part of the package of humiliation handed to her at her divorce, almost a year to the day before her death, Diana was no longer eligible for royal Frogmore.”
In an excerpt released yesterday, he claimed that the Queen considered restoring his sister’s Her Royal Highness title, which she lost when she divorced Charles.
“The removal of Diana’s title had hurt her. The loss was designed to emphasise to her, and the world, that her royal days were over.”
Earl Spencer’s bombshell book claims Charles acted like a ‘lottery winner’ in hours after Diana’s death
13:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneKing Charles allegedly acted like a “lottery winner” in the hours after Princess Diana’s death, her brother Earl Spencer has claimed in his bombshell new memoir.
In the latest serialisation of the damning book, the then-Prince of Wales is accused of appearing “giddily elated” on the phone, shortly after his former wife had been killed in a car crash in Paris.
Earl Spencer has also revealed details about the couple’s unhappy marriage, and Diana’s wish to call off the engagement prior to their wedding in 1981.
You can read more below:
Earl Spencer’s book claims Charles acted like a ‘lottery winner’ after Diana’s death
King went 'ballistic' during funeral procession row
13:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer has claimed the King went “ballistic” before telling him “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough”, days after Diana’s death in 1997.
In an earlier excerpt, he wrote about how he fought plans for William and Harry to walk behind their mother’s coffin during the funeral procession, which caused a “stream of anger” from the King.
He told BBC: “He went ballistic, would be the right term, and started really going for my family as a whole, about their sense of duty, not being adequate enough, and ranted for a while, I have no idea how long, but it was a significant period, and I just listened.
“And then he stopped, and I thought, ‘Oh now he’s gonna pull himself together and say something more appropriate’, and then he said, ‘We’ll forget her soon enough’.”
He added: “I really was so stunned, and I just, after a stunned silence, I said, ‘I cannot believe you just said that’, and I hung up on him.”
'I feel sorry for the royal family,' Ed Davey says
12:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSir Ed Davey has said “often families have these quarrels, and often they go back to things that may or may not have been said decades ago”, in regards to Earl Spencer’s claims about the King.
On BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the Liberal Democrats leader was asked if he would agree with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch’s statement that she does not want to take a side but is “always on the side of His Majesty”.
Sir Ed said: “I’m a huge fan of His Majesty and of the royal family and that’s why I don’t really want to comment on what’s going on there.
“All I would say, I think people who will know from their own family experience, often families have these quarrels, and often they go back to things that may or may not have been said decades ago and it can be very painful.
“I just feel sorry for the royal family that this is being played out in public.”
'Diana would be cheering from the rafters at this book', Earl insists amid criticism
12:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer has insisted his sister Princess Diana would be “cheering from the rafters” at his new book amid criticism he is “cashing in” on Diana’s death.
He has previously said the book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is an opportunity to correct “untruths” about his sister.
“The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective, just as I attempted to do when speaking at her funeral,” he said.
“As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana’s behalf and do so in an openly positive way.”
But he has faced criticism from sources close to the King, with reports in the Sunday Times suggesting those close to the King see the book as an attempt to “cash in” on Diana’s death.
Watch: William’s new battle as uncle and brother tell their ‘Diana Truth’
11:30 , Nicole Wootton-Cane'Not for politicians to opine on the royal family,' minister says
11:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneBridget Phillipson said it was “not for politicians to opine on the royal family” after Kemi Badenoch said she was “always on the side of His Majesty”.
Asked whether she agreed with the Tory leader following explosive claims made in the memoir of Earl Spencer, the women and equalities minister told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “My view is that the royal family don’t comment on politics, and I think it’s not for politicians to comment on what has or hasn’t happened within the royal family.
“Clearly, these are family matters, but actually, I don’t think as politicians we should be inserting ourselves into discussions about the royal family. They don’t do that to us, and I think we owe them that responsibility in return.”
Asked whether she agreed with Earl Spencer that there were echoes of how his sister was treated by the media in the way the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are, she said: “Again, sorry to repeat myself here, but I don’t think it’s the politicians to opine on the royal family, and I won’t be doing so.”
Bombshell interview set to air tonight ahead of highly-anticipated book launch
11:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneA highly-anticipated interview with Earl Spencer will air later this evening ahead of the publication of his bombshell memoir on Tuesday.
In the broadcast with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, the earl will insist everything he has said is true following backlash from the Palace.
Clips of the interview have been teased ahead of time, in which the earl doubled down on claims he made in his book.
Speaking about an alleged row over Diana’s funeral arrangements involving her sons, the earl said: “(The King) went ballistic, would be the right term, and started really going for my family as a whole, about their sense of duty, not being adequate enough, and ranted for a while, I have no idea how long, but it was a significant period, and I just listened.
“And then he stopped, and I thought, ‘Oh now he’s going to pull himself together and say something more appropriate’.
“And then he said, ‘We’ll forget her soon enough’.”
The interview will be on BBC iPlayer on Sunday from 4pm and on BBC One at 6.30pm.
SNL UK brutally mocks Ed Sheeran and King Charles in Diana sketch
10:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAfter a week dominating the headlines, the royal war of words was the subject of comedy show SNL UK’s first sketch of the night on Saturday.
The sketch saw the cast bring back Princess Diana as an AI assistant for King Charles, mocking the monarch allegedly saying that she would be forgotten “soon enough” while arguing with Earl Charles Spencer over her funeral arrangements in 1997.
Spencer made the bombshell claim in an extract his upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, with Buckingham Palace responding by saying that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud, reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise”.
You can read all about the sketch below:
SNL UK brutally mocks Ed Sheeran and King Charles in Diana sketch
Charles is 'embarrassed' about Earl's claims
10:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer has suggested Charles is “embarrassed” about comments the Earl claims the King made to him in the days after Diana’s death.
Asked about Buckingham Palace’s response to his claims, Earl Spencer told the BBC: “Is he (Charles) furious, or is he embarrassed? Because I can tell you, here and now, those are exactly the words he said.
“I’ve only ever had two calls on the line with Prince Charles at any stage of my life.
“I was hyper-alert to what he was saying, and those are precisely the words he said, and I promise that to you now, genuinely, that is what he said.“I don’t hear him saying he didn’t say that.”
The top six bombshell claims from Earl Spencer’s book so far
09:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIn his highly anticipated memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, the Earl has made bombshell allegations about King Charles’ conduct around his ex-wife Princess Diana up to and following her death.
Revelations from the book, currently being serialised by the Daily Mail before it is published next Tuesday, have so far focused on the King’s behaviour, from statements he made to Diana before their marriage to comments he made to the Earl before her funeral.
Prior to the serialisation, Buckingham Palace responded directly to the allegations, saying the King was mindful that “grief can cloud reason” in reference to the Earl.
Here are the latest bombshell allegations made in the memoir:
The top five bombshell claims from Earl Spencer’s book so far
Royal expert suspects ‘collusion’ and ‘guilt’ behind Earl Spencer’s bombshell claims
09:00 , Alex CroftA royal expert has shared his thoughts on the motivations behind Earl Spencer’s “brutal” claims against Buckingham Palace.
A war of words has broken out between the royal family and Princess Diana’s brother over allegations made in his upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
Revelations from the book, serialised by the Daily Mail before it is published on Tuesday (22 September), have so far focused on the King’s behaviour, from alleged statements he made to Diana before their marriage to the Earl's claims about comments the King made to him before her funeral.
Richard Fitzwilliams told The Independent he believes Earl Spencer is “haunted … by demons of himself” and that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had some part to play.
”Timing all this just so happens it's just after Harry and Meghan have come back... The Sussexes, whether they actually saw the manuscript or what they knew about it, of course, I don't know. But I'm absolutely certain that there was some form of collusion or appears to have been.”
Royal expert suspects ‘collusion’ and ‘guilt’ behind Earl Spencer’s bombshell claims
Earl Spencer insists he's 'telling the truth' amid backlash
08:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer has defended his controversial memoir on his late sister Diana, insisting he’s “telling the truth” about a phone call with King Charles in the days after her death.
In an excerpt of the book, the Earl claimed King Charles “sounded giddily elated – like a lottery winner” on the phone with him.
He told BBC: “I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said.
”I've only ever had two calls on the line with Prince Charles at any stage of my life.
“I was hyper alert to what he was saying and those are precisely the words that he said and I promise that to you now. Genuinely, that is what he said. I don't hear him saying he didn't say that.”
The Buckingham Palace said that the King is mindful that “grief can cloud reason” in response to the Earl’s claims.
Asked about the “unprecedented” statement from the palace, he said: “Well, is he furious? Is he furious or is he embarrassed?.
“They've sort of smudged that one, haven't they? They've said that recollections may vary.”
He said he had told his family and friends at the time what had been said “because it was so monstrous” when pressed on whether he had evidence to back up his allegations.
Palace's statement 'poor imitation' of Queen's Oprah response, Earl Spencer says
08:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer has branded the Palace’s statement in response to his book a “poor imitation” of Queen Elizabeth II’s “recollections may vary” statement.
The late Queen issued the address in 2021 after Meghan told Oprah that Harry had been asked by an unnamed family member "how dark" their son Archie's skin might be.
The Palace said the Sussexes would "always be much loved family members" and that issues of racism are taken “very seriously”.
But the Palace also pointed out that “recollections may vary” over the incident.
In a similarly rare statement following claims made in Earl Spencer’s book, the Palace said the King is “mindful” of how grief can cloud memory.
“It was astonishingly provocative and below the belt because it was essentially trying to say I'd lied without the King being able to deny what I'd said,” he told the Mail on Sunday.
“I also thought it was a rather poor imitation of the "recollections may vary" quote, which was a much more elegant way of putting things, but in these circumstances entirely out of place.”
'Echoes of Diana' in media's treatment of Harry and Meghan, Earl Spencer says
07:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer has said he can see “echoes” of how his sister Princess Diana was treated in the media’s handling of Harry and Meghan.
In a clip of an interview with the BBC’S Laura Kuennsberg, he said it was "beholden on people to learn from Diana's example".
"If you look at an article in a tabloid about Diana or the couple that you were mentioning, Harry and Meghan, you know, they can be really, really unpleasant," he replied.
"And I think it would be really beholden on people to learn from Diana's example.
"I'm not here to speak for Harry and Meghan, but for anyone who's being destroyed in this way daily, it must be such a cancerous influence in their life."
It comes after the Earl doubled down on his claims the King told him “we’ll forget her soon enough” in the days after Diana’s death.
His full interview will air later tonight.
What King Charles said in first speech since ‘unprecedented’ response to Earl Spencer’s book claims
07:00 , Alex CroftIn his first public appearance since Buckingham Palace responded to claims made in a new memoir by Earl Spencer, King Charles spoke to tech industry leaders of the existential dangers posed by artificial intelligence.
Speaking at a summit at Dumfries House, the King urged executives from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Nvidia to ensure humanity remains sacred as AI advances.
He has declined to comment further after his initial statement, in which the Palace said the King is “mindful” of how grief can colour memory.
Watch: Royal expert questions timing of Earl Spencer book release
06:00 , Alex CroftWhen is Earl Spencer's book due to be released?
04:00 , Alex CroftEarl Spencer’s book titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is set to be released globally on Tuesday.
However, the pages have been serialised by the Daily Mail, leaking some of the most explosive allegations ahead of publication.
An interview with Diana’s brother and BBC broadcaster Laura Kuenssberg will also be released on Sunday evening, in which more revelations are expected.
Prince Charles ‘had no place at his his ex’s funeral’
02:00 , Alex CroftEarl Spencer recalled his sister’s funeral as a “a form of mental torture,” stating that he believed neither Prince Charles, or Princes William and Harry should have been in attendance.
Sharing his feelings on the funeral procession, one passage read: “What was Prince Charles actually doing there? I thought at one moment.
“This ex-husband, from a marriage that had collapsed so bitterly four years before and finally ended in divorce a year earlier, surely had no place at his ex’s funeral.
“Supporting his sons was the reason given for his prominent place, but what were the boys doing there, anyway? It all seemed mad to me.
“I was anxious that I could not look sideways to check how Harry was doing. But at one point I found us marching briefly out of sight, under a massive arch. Relieved that nobody could see us here, I quickly leant across to Harry, and gave him an encouraging hug. ‘Well done, Harry!’ I said. ‘You’re doing bloody brilliantly!’”
King Charles 'saddened that old sorrows are being dragged back up', says friend
Saturday 19 September 2026 23:45 , Alex CroftThe King is “saddened that the sorrows of old are being dragged up again”, a friend who has been with him this week has told The Sunday Times.
The row between Buckingham Palace and Earl Spencer, whose bombshell claims about King Charles’ conduct before and after Princess Diana’s death have sent shockwaves through the royal family, is rapidly deepening.
One aide told the outlet: “The King was rather more concerned about the future of mankind than the unkind claims of one man picking at the scars of the past.”
Another friend, speaking of Spencer’s claim that he had written his memoir to “to tell the truth about Diana”, responded: “That’s like an arsonist trying to sell you a fire hose and about as convincing as all those others close to Diana who’ve cashed in on her confidences over the years.
“Why couldn’t they all have just let her rest in peace? That would have been the decent thing to have done.”
They added to the Times: “It is an irony lost on no one except perhaps the author that a man who once accused the media of hounding Diana to the grave has now peddled in the public bazaar what little remained of her privacy.”
Earl Spencer accuses King Charles of 'gaslighting him' over book claims
Saturday 19 September 2026 23:24 , Alex CroftEarl Spencer has accused the King of gaslighting him after Buckingham Palace pushed back against explosive claims that Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” after Diana, Princess of Wales, died.
The earl has made a series of damning claims about the King in a new memoir chronicling the life of his sister Diana that prompted the response from Buckingham Palace, which said “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
Now, the earl has accused the King of gaslighting him and called the response a “rather poor imitation of the ‘recollections may vary’ quote” – the late Queen’s response to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s allegations in their Oprah Winfrey interview, The Mail on Sunday reports.
He said: “It is not every day you wake up to find you’ve been gaslit by the King.
“It was astonishingly provocative and below the belt because it was essentially trying to say I’d lied without the King being able to deny what I’d said.
“I also thought it was a rather poor imitation of the ‘recollections may vary’ quote, which was a much more elegant way of putting things, but in these circumstances entirely out of place.”
He also said “Diana would be cheering from the rafters at this book”.
Charles Spencer’s book is Diana’s unfinished business – Harry’s documentary will finish it
Saturday 19 September 2026 23:01 , Alex CroftAs Buckingham Palace hits back at the claims of King Charles’s reaction to the death of Diana, Dan Wakeford, former People editor and founder of the Celebrity Intelligence website, looks at why her brother is publishing his tell-all now, and how the next 12 months will be about settling scores.
This book is Diana’s unfinished business – Harry’s documentary will finish it
Charles called Diana 'chubby' after engagement, claims Spencer's memoir: recap
Saturday 19 September 2026 22:00 , Alex CroftDiana suffered from an eating disorder which worsened after Charles called her “chubby,” Earl Spencer has claimed in his bombshell memoir.
In an extract from his book, serialised in the Daily Mail, the Earl claims that ahead of his sister’s wedding, Prince Charles had squeezed Diana’s waist and said, “Oh, a bit chubby here, aren't we?”
The earl said his sister found the comment "devastating," later telling him that her "waist shrank from 29 to 23 and a half inches between her engagement and her marriage," which were five months apart in 1981.
Watch: Charles went 'ballistic' in phone call row over Diana funeral arrangements, claims Earl Spencer
Saturday 19 September 2026 21:00 , Alex CroftQueen says books have 'life-enhancing power' in speech after release of Earl Spencer's memoir
Saturday 19 September 2026 20:00 , Alex CroftThe Queen has spoken of her love for books that have a “life-enhancing power” after a series of allegations were made about the King in extracts from Earl Spencer’s memoir about the life of Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Queen was welcomed by Lord William Burlington, the chairman of The Chatsworth House Trust, who said it was “a huge thrill” to collaborate with The Queen’s Reading Room for a second consecutive year.
Camilla gave a speech in the Painted Hall and said being at Chatsworth House, which has a library of over 17,000 books, was “like coming home”.
She told the guests: “I created my Reading Room simply because, like all of us here, I love books and their life-enhancing power and I want to share that love with others.
“In those early days, I had no idea if anybody would be interested but six years on, we are a global community of millions from over 180 countries, swapping recommendations, undertaking research and donating thousands of books to women’s refuges and homeless shelters.”
Camilla’s speech about her love for reading comes after Earl Spencer made a series of damning claims about the King in a new memoir chronicling the life of his sister Diana that prompted an “unprecedented” response from Buckingham Palace who said, “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
Earl Spencer further claimed that the King sounded “giddily elated… like a lottery winner” when he rang the earl following the princess’s death.
Diana contemplated ‘ending it all’, memoir claims - ICYMI
Saturday 19 September 2026 19:24 , Alex CroftIn passages of his bombshell book, Earl Spencer spoke of how his sister contemplated “ending it all” before her death.
He said she drove “more than once” to the cliffs at Beachy Head in East Sussex and was “contemplating ending it all”, adding that “her love for her sons stopped her from going further”.
The book reads: “It is a sad fact that, in her later years, Diana drove herself more than once to Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in England, while contemplating ending it all.
“Her love for her sons stopped her from going further.”
Comment: Charles should have listened to his mother – ‘Never complain, never explain’
Saturday 19 September 2026 18:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneBy ignoring the late Queen Elizabeth’s famous motto in the row over Earl Spencer’s new book about Diana, the King has been seriously wrongfooted, says Harry Mount.
Charles should have listened to his mother – ‘Never complain, never explain’
What King Charles said in first speech since ‘unprecedented’ response to Earl Spencer’s book claims
Saturday 19 September 2026 17:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIn his first public appearance since Buckingham Palace responded to claims made in a new memoir by Earl Spencer, King Charles spoke to tech industry leaders of the existential dangers posed by artificial intelligence.
Speaking at a summit at Dumfries House, the King urged executives from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Nvidia to ensure humanity remains sacred as AI advances.
He has declined to comment further after his initial statement, in which the Palace said the King is “mindful” of how grief can colour memory.
What King Charles said in first speech since ‘unprecedented’ response to book claims
Watch: Royal expert questions timing of Earl Spencer book release
Saturday 19 September 2026 17:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneWhen is Earl Spencer's book due to be released?
Saturday 19 September 2026 16:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer’s book titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is set to be released globally on Tuesday.
However, the pages have been serialised by the Daily Mail, leaking some of the most explosive allegations ahead of publication.
An interview with Diana’s brother and BBC broadcaster Laura Kuenssberg will also be released on Sunday evening, in which more revelations are expected.
Earl Spencer insists he is telling the ‘truth’ over King allegations
Saturday 19 September 2026 16:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer has insisted he is “telling the truth” over the explosive allegation the King said “we’ll forget her soon enough” following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Charles Spencer has made a series of damning claims about the King in a new memoir chronicling his sister Diana that prompted an “unprecedented” response from Buckingham Palace who said “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
But in an extract of an interview with the BBC, Earl Spencer questioned whether the official response showed if the King was furious or embarrassed by the claim.
Speaking about an alleged row over Diana’s funeral arrangements involving her sons, the earl said: “(The King) went ballistic, would be the right term, and started really going for my family as a whole, about their sense of duty, not being adequate enough, and ranted for a while, I have no idea how long, but it was a significant period, and I just listened.
“And then he stopped, and I thought, ‘Oh now he’s going to pull himself together and say something more appropriate’.
“And then he said, ‘We’ll forget her soon enough’.”
Asked whether he has “evidence” of the King’s comments, the earl told the BBC: “I told friends and family straight away, close friends and family, about what had been said, because it was so monstrous.”
He added: “I’m telling the truth.”
Earl's claims: Public reaction to Diana's divorce was 'main worry'
Saturday 19 September 2026 15:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIn an excerpt from his memoir, Earl Spencer has said that the public’s reaction was his “main worry” when Diana shared that she was getting a divorce.
In an extract from the bombshell book serialised by the Daily Mail, he described his conversation with Diana: "I was silent for a moment. I had known things were bad, but not this bad."
The earl said he then told his sister his "main worry" was the public because he worried that "they won't forgive you".
"They've bought into a fairytale, and I reckon they may well - wrongly - blame you for destroying their fantasy," he told her.
Charles Spencer’s book is Diana’s unfinished business – Harry’s documentary will finish it
Saturday 19 September 2026 15:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAs Buckingham Palace hits back at the claims of King Charles’s reaction to the death of Diana, Dan Wakeford, former People editor and founder of the Celebrity Intelligence website, looks at why her brother is publishing his tell-all now, and how the next 12 months will be about settling scores.
This book is Diana’s unfinished business – Harry’s documentary will finish it
Charles Spencer’s Princess Diana memoir stolen from lorry
Saturday 19 September 2026 14:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneCopies of Charles Spencer’s new memoir about his sister Princess Diana have been stolen from a lorry ahead of its release date, according to reports.
The book, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is set to be released globally next Tuesday (22 September) – but copies have been snatched from a lorry in the Netherlands, with Dutch police reportedly investigating the break-in.
A source told the Daily Mail: “It's extremely suspicious. Nothing like this has ever happened before. This is probably the biggest book of the year and the security surrounding it has been incredibly tight.”
You can read more below:
Charles Spencer’s Princess Diana memoir stolen from lorry
Watch: King Charles issues rare response to Earl Spencer’s Diana book claims
Saturday 19 September 2026 14:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneCharles called Diana 'chubby' after engagement, claims Spencer's memoir
Saturday 19 September 2026 13:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDiana suffered from an eating disorder which worsened after Charles called her “chubby,” Earl Spencer has claimed in his bombshell memoir.
In an extract from his book, serialised in the Daily Mail, the Earl claims that ahead of his sister’s wedding, Prince Charles had squeezed Diana’s waist and said, “Oh, a bit chubby here, aren't we?”
The earl said his sister found the comment "devastating," later telling him that her "waist shrank from 29 to 23 and a half inches between her engagement and her marriage," which were five months apart in 1981.
Royal expert suspects ‘collusion’ and ‘guilt’ behind Earl Spencer’s bombshell claims
Saturday 19 September 2026 13:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneA royal expert has shared his thoughts on the motivations behind Earl Spencer’s “brutal” claims against Buckingham Palace.
A war of words has broken out between the royal family and Princess Diana’s brother over allegations made in his upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
Revelations from the book, serialised by the Daily Mail before it is published on Tuesday (22 September), have so far focused on the King’s behaviour, from alleged statements he made to Diana before their marriage to the Earl's claims about comments the King made to him before her funeral.
Richard Fitzwilliams told The Independent he believes Earl Spencer is “haunted … by demons of himself” and that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had some part to play.
”Timing all this just so happens it's just after Harry and Meghan have come back... The Sussexes, whether they actually saw the manuscript or what they knew about it, of course, I don't know. But I'm absolutely certain that there was some form of collusion or appears to have been.”
Royal expert suspects ‘collusion’ and ‘guilt’ behind Earl Spencer’s bombshell claims
King 'sounded giddily elated’ after Diana's death, book claims
Saturday 19 September 2026 12:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneKing Charles allegedly acted like a “lottery winner” in the hours after Princess Diana’s death, her brother Earl Spencer has claimed in his bombshell new memoir.
In the latest serialisation of the damning book, the then-Prince of Wales is accused of appearing “giddily elated” on the phone, shortly after his former wife had been killed in a car crash in Paris.
Earl Spencer has also revealed details about the couple’s unhappy marriage, and Diana’s wish to call off the engagement prior to their wedding in 1981.
Prince Charles ‘had no place at his his ex’s funeral’
Saturday 19 September 2026 12:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEarl Spencer recalled his sister’s funeral as a “a form of mental torture,” stating that he believed neither Prince Charles, or Princes William and Harry should have been in attendance.
Sharing his feelings on the funeral procession, one passage read: “What was Prince Charles actually doing there? I thought at one moment.
“This ex-husband, from a marriage that had collapsed so bitterly four years before and finally ended in divorce a year earlier, surely had no place at his ex’s funeral.
“Supporting his sons was the reason given for his prominent place, but what were the boys doing there, anyway? It all seemed mad to me.
“I was anxious that I could not look sideways to check how Harry was doing. But at one point I found us marching briefly out of sight, under a massive arch. Relieved that nobody could see us here, I quickly leant across to Harry, and gave him an encouraging hug. ‘Well done, Harry!’ I said. ‘You’re doing bloody brilliantly!’”
How close was Charles Spencer to his sister Diana? Inside their complicated family bond
Saturday 19 September 2026 11:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAs Diana’s younger brother goes to war with the palace over incendiary revelations from his new book about his sister, Katie Rosseinsky takes a closer look at their sibling relationship, from a deep childhood connection to more friction and distance in later in life.
How close was Charles Spencer to his sister Diana? Inside their complicated bond
