Earl Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, has accused King Charles III of gaslighting him in a newly released memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. Spencer made the claim in an interview with ABC News ahead of the book’s publication, stating, 'It is not every day you wake up to find you’ve been gaslit by the king.' He alleged the comment came during a contentious phone call about funeral arrangements for Diana, where Spencer claimed the then-Prince Charles said Diana would soon be forgotten. Buckingham Palace responded with an unusual statement, asserting that 'the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory.'
Piers Morgan threatens legal action over Spencer’s claims that he reacted with 'annoyance' to being uninvited from Diana’s funeral. Morgan, then editor of the Daily Mirror, has dismissed the allegations as 'demonstrable lies' and is pursuing legal recourse. The dispute centers on Spencer’s memoir, which also alleges that Diana suspected Charles of a secret meeting with Camilla Parker-Bowles on the royal train in 1980, months before their wedding.
Spencer’s Allegations Against King Charles
Earl Spencer’s memoir recounts a heated phone call with Prince Charles shortly after Diana’s death in 1997. According to Spencer, the conversation revolved around plans for Prince William and Prince Harry—then aged 15 and 12—to walk behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession. Spencer claimed he told Charles that Diana would not have wanted her sons to endure such an ordeal, to which Charles allegedly replied, 'Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough!' Spencer described the remark as 'monstrous' and said Charles became 'ballistic' during the exchange.
Buckingham Palace issued a rare response to the allegations, stating that His Majesty was 'mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss.' The statement did not directly address Spencer’s claim but framed the remarks as a possible consequence of grief.
Piers Morgan’s Legal Threat Over Funeral Snub Claim
Spencer’s memoir also includes an anecdote about Piers Morgan, who was then editor of the Daily Mirror. Spencer alleges he personally called newspaper editors to ask them not to attend Diana’s funeral, citing the press’s role in her death. According to Spencer, Morgan was the only editor who reacted with 'surliness' and 'annoyance' before hanging up. Morgan has vehemently denied the claim, calling it 'demonstrable lies' and announcing plans to take legal action. The specifics of the threatened lawsuit have not been detailed, and Spencer’s memoir has not yet been independently reviewed in full.
Diana’s Friend Questions One Memoir Anecdote
Richard Kay, a longtime friend of Princess Diana and former royal reporter, expressed puzzlement over one passage in Spencer’s memoir. Kay, who spoke to Spencer multiple times after Diana’s death, noted that some of Spencer’s recollections align with his own contemporaneous notes. However, Kay described one anecdote—set during Diana’s crumbling marriage—as 'mystifying' and questioned Spencer’s intentions. The passage involves Spencer being asked to join Diana at San Lorenzo, her favorite restaurant, though the context and significance remain unclear.
Media Mocks King Charles Over Diana Remarks
The allegations have sparked widespread commentary, including a satirical sketch on Saturday Night Live UK that portrayed King Charles as failing to recognize Diana in a surreal encounter. The skit, inspired by Spencer’s claim that Charles said Diana would be 'soon forgotten,' depicted the monarch as unable to recall her name, referring to her only as 'that woman from the 1990s.' The segment reflects the public’s divided reaction to the memoir’s claims, with some questioning the veracity of Spencer’s recollections and others viewing them as a long-overdue reckoning with the royal family’s treatment of Diana.
Broader Context: Diana’s Legacy and Media Scrutiny
Spencer’s memoir revisits the intense media scrutiny Diana faced, which she and her family blamed for contributing to her fatal car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Spencer has argued that the press intrusion profoundly affected his sister, drawing parallels between her experience and the scrutiny faced by her sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, in modern times. The book also delves into Diana’s troubled marriage, claiming her eating disorders worsened due to the 'loveless match' and relentless tabloid coverage.
The feud between Spencer and King Charles, as well as the renewed focus on Diana’s life and death, underscores ongoing debates about the royal family’s handling of her legacy and the role of the media in her story.