Earl Spencer Insists He Is Telling the Truth About King Charles’ Alleged Remark on Diana

The brother of the late Princess Diana, Earl Spencer, has insisted that he is telling the truth about an alleged private conversation with King Charles in the days following his sister’s death in 1997.

Spencer claims in his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, that the then-Prince of Wales told him “we’ll forget her soon enough” during an argument over whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin at her funeral.

Buckingham Palace issued an unusually direct response to the claim, saying the King is mindful that grief can affect a person’s recollection of events many years later. 

But speaking exclusively to the BBC, Spencer rejected any suggestion that his memory of the conversation was inaccurate.

“I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said,” Spencer said.

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Spencer stands by his account

Speaking from his Althorp estate, Spencer said he had only spoken to Charles by telephone on two occasions in his life and was therefore particularly attentive during the conversation.

He said he remembered the exact words because of how shocked he was by what he heard.

Spencer also said he told family members and friends about the conversation at the time because, in his words, it was so extraordinary.

Asked about the Palace’s response, Spencer questioned whether Charles was angry or embarrassed by the claims.

When asked directly which account the public should believe, Spencer responded: “I’m telling the truth.”

Buckingham Palace declined to comment further on Spencer’s latest remarks.

Dispute over Diana’s funeral

According to Spencer’s account in his book, the disagreement began when he learned that William and Harry would walk in the funeral procession behind their mother’s coffin.

Spencer says he objected because he believed Diana would not have wanted her young sons to take part in the procession.

He claims Charles then called him and became extremely angry during the conversation, arguing about the family’s sense of duty.

Spencer says Charles eventually made the alleged remark about Diana being forgotten.

The two princes, then aged 15 and 12, did ultimately walk behind their mother’s coffin during the funeral procession on September 6, 1997. 

Prince Harry has previously spoken about the experience of walking behind his mother’s coffin, saying that no child should have been expected to do so, although he later said he was glad to have been part of the day.

More claims about Charles’ reaction to Diana’s death

Spencer’s forthcoming memoir contains other claims about the aftermath of Diana’s death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997.

In another extract, he alleges that Charles sounded unusually upbeat when he telephoned him after learning of Diana’s death, describing his voice as sounding “like a lottery winner”.

The claims have not been independently established, and Buckingham Palace has not endorsed Spencer’s recollection.

Diana’s death triggered an extraordinary public outpouring of grief and intense scrutiny of the Royal Family’s response. The Queen later acknowledged the enormous public sadness and praised Diana’s devotion to William and Harry in a televised address. 

Earl Spencer’s book set for publication

​​Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is due to be published next week and is expected to contain further revelations about Diana’s life, her relationship with the Royal Family and the events surrounding her death.

The latest dispute has once again drawn attention to the complicated relationship between Diana’s family and the Royal Family nearly three decades after her death.

It is important to note that Spencer’s account of the private conversation is his recollection of an event from 1997, while Buckingham Palace has questioned the reliability of memories shaped by grief.