Watch: Did King Charles Say Princess Diana Would Be Forgotten After Her Death? Palace Reacts to Claim
King Charles is letting Charles Spencer share his perspective—even if it doesn’t paint a perfect picture.
After an excerpt from Spencer’s new book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, alleged that the king of England had told Princess Diana’s brother that the world would “forget” her in a fit of rage, a palace spokesperson has issued a response.
“While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason,” the statement to E! News said, “affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss.”
In the excerpt from Spencer’s memoir—which was published by the Daily Mail Sept. 16—Diana’s brother recounted a heated conversation between himself and Charles shortly after Diana’s death on Aug. 31, 1997.
“Prince Charles continued his stream of anger, without me interrupting. Then he stopped,” Spencer wrote. “I assumed the pause signaled an effort to bring himself under control, but then he unleashed down the phone what I have always taken to be his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death.”
“‘Rest assured,’” Spencer claimed Charles had told him. “‘We’ll forget her soon enough!’”
Elsewhere in the excerpt, Spencer confirmed that the confrontation with the now-king had stemmed from his and Diana’s sons Prince William, now 44, and Prince Harry, now 42, walking behind Diana’s casket in her funeral procession.
In the years since Diana’s death, both William, who was 15 at the time, and Harry, who was then 12, have shared their perspective on the controversial decision, with both confirming it was a “group decision” in the 2017 BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days.
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“It was a collective family decision to do that,” William said at the time. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But we were overwhelmed by how many people turned out, it was just incredible. There was that balance between duty and family and that’s what we had to do.”
Harry, meanwhile, admitted he didn’t realize he and his brother’s participation would turn into such a hot-button issue.
“Genuinely, I don’t have an opinion on whether that was right or wrong,” Harry added. “I am glad I was part of it. Looking back on it now, I am very glad I was part of it.”
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