Princess Diana’s brother says his controversial account of a conversation with the future King would not come as a surprise to her sons, as tensions surrounding his new memoir continue.
Earl Spencer has suggested that Prince William and Prince Harry were already aware of his controversial claim about a conversation he says he had with the then Prince Charles shortly after Princess Diana’s death.
The claim has become one of the most disputed revelations surrounding Spencer’s forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Spencer declined to reveal details of private conversations he has had with his nephews. However, he made clear that the account contained in his book would not be unexpected news to them.
His comments suggest that William and Harry may have heard his version of events before, even though reports indicate they had not been briefed on the full contents of the memoir.
A Controversial Account From the Days After Diana’s Death
At the centre of the dispute is Spencer’s recollection of an alleged conversation with Charles following Diana’s death in a Paris car crash in August 1997.
Spencer says tensions arose over plans for Diana’s funeral, particularly the decision for the young William and Harry to walk behind their mother’s coffin.
At the time, William was 15 and Harry was just 12.
According to Spencer, he strongly opposed the idea because he believed Diana would not have wanted her sons placed in such a position.
He claims Charles contacted him after learning about those concerns.
Spencer says the conversation became heated, with the two men disagreeing over duty, family expectations and whether the princes should take part in the procession.
It was during this exchange, Spencer alleges, that Charles made a remark suggesting Diana would eventually be forgotten.
Spencer says he was so shocked by what he heard that he ended the telephone call.
Buckingham Palace Challenges Spencer’s Version
Spencer’s account has been disputed by the Palace.
In a rare response to claims contained in the memoir, a Palace spokesman questioned the reliability of Spencer’s recollection and noted that intense grief following the loss of a sibling can influence memory, judgment and perception.
Spencer, however, continues to stand firmly behind his account.
During his BBC interview, he insisted that he clearly remembered the conversation and maintained that the words described in his memoir accurately reflected what he heard.
He also said he shared details of the alleged exchange with close friends and relatives.
Spencer Points to His Famous Funeral Eulogy
Spencer believes another clue to what happened can be found in the eulogy he delivered at Diana’s funeral.
His emotional speech at Westminster Abbey became one of the defining moments of the funeral and was watched by millions around the world.
In the address, Spencer spoke about Diana’s unique qualities and declared that her memory would endure.
He now says those words were deliberately significant.
According to Spencer, the closing message of his eulogy was intended as a direct response to the conversation he says he had with Charles before the funeral.
Nearly three decades later, Diana remains one of the most recognisable members of the modern Royal Family, while her life and legacy continue to generate enormous public interest.
“This Will Not Be a Surprise to Them”
Questions have naturally emerged about whether Diana’s sons knew of their uncle’s allegations before the memoir became public.
Spencer has avoided revealing the substance of his private conversations with William and Harry.
However, he indicated that the central allegation would not come as new information to either prince.
The comment is particularly significant because reports have suggested that William and Harry were not given advance knowledge of everything contained in the forthcoming book.
Spencer therefore appears to draw a distinction between knowing about this particular story and knowing the wider contents of his memoir.
Spencer Denies Threatening the King
The Earl has also faced questions about comments suggesting that he knows other things about King Charles that he decided not to include in the book.
Spencer rejected suggestions that this amounted to a threat.
Instead, he described himself as an eyewitness to an important period of royal history and said his intention was to record events that he personally witnessed or experienced.
He said additional material was excluded because he did not consider it relevant to the story he wanted to tell.
Spencer has also indicated that he does not intend to continue making further revelations about the Royal Family after the memoir.
Hopes for William and Harry
Despite the controversy surrounding the book, Spencer also spoke about the strained relationship between his nephews.
He expressed hope that William and Harry might eventually repair their relationship.
Spencer acknowledged that there are issues on both sides of the brothers’ estrangement and said he did not know enough about the private details to intervene directly.
But from his perspective as their uncle, he believes Diana would have wanted her sons to be happy and to have a loving relationship with one another.
Spencer Also Revisits Diana’s Panorama Interview
The memoir controversy has also revived discussion about Diana’s famous 1995 BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir.
A later investigation found that Bashir used deceptive methods, including fake bank statements, in gaining access to Diana through Spencer.
Spencer argues that the episode severely damaged Diana’s ability to trust people around her.
He believes this loss of trust contributed to decisions surrounding her personal security before her death.
For Spencer, these events form part of a much larger story about his sister’s final years — one he now says he wants to document from his own perspective.
Almost three decades after Diana’s death, his recollections are once again bringing some of the most painful and disputed moments in modern royal history back into public view.
