Buckingham Palace has publicly challenged claims made by Earl Spencer in his upcoming memoir, marking a rare departure from the monarchy’s traditional policy of avoiding public responses to criticism.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the palace questioned the reliability of Spencer’s recollection of a 1997 phone call between himself and King Charles, which followed the death of Princess Diana. Spencer alleges that during the conversation, Charles expressed contempt for Diana and stated, 'Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough.' The palace did not directly address whether the comment was made but suggested that grief may have influenced Spencer’s recollection.
Earl Spencer’s memoir, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, includes an excerpt published by the Daily Mail, detailing the alleged exchange. Spencer claims he objected to Prince William and Prince Harry, then aged 15 and 12, walking behind their mother’s coffin at her funeral. The memoir’s publication has drawn significant attention, with royal correspondents describing the palace’s response as highly unusual and unprecedented.
The palace’s statement echoed a previous response to claims made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, where an unnamed royal was alleged to have made a remark about their son’s skin color before his birth. At the time, a response issued on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II stated that 'recollections may vary.' The latest statement similarly suggested that grief could affect memory, describing the recollection as potentially clouded by emotional pain.
Royal correspondents noted that the palace’s intervention signals a shift in the monarchy’s long-standing "never complain, never explain" approach. Sky News’s Laura Bundock characterized the response as a 'remarkable intervention' and a 'very robust' reaction, adding that the royal family 'simply cannot stay silent.' The BBC’s former royal correspondent echoed this sentiment, describing the statement as a significant departure from tradition.
The dispute over Spencer’s claims has reignited discussions about the monarchy’s handling of public criticism and the reliability of recollections made in the aftermath of traumatic events. The palace’s response underscores the ongoing tension between the royal family’s traditional secrecy and the increasing public scrutiny of its actions.