Buckingham Palace Pushes Back Against Earl Spencer's Explosive Claims Over King Charles and Diana

A newly surfaced memoir by Earl Spencer has reignited historical tensions between the Spencer family and the British monarchy, presenting a series of intensely personal allegations concerning King Charles III. The brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, asserts in his upcoming publication that the then-Prince of Wales appeared disturbingly upbeat in the immediate aftermath of Diana’s fatal car crash in Paris nearly three decades ago.

According to excerpts from the book, Earl Spencer alleges that Charles sounded "giddily elated" during a telephone conversation conducted shortly after Diana's passing on August 31, 1997. Reflecting on the exchange, Spencer noted that the royal heir’s manner struck him as being comparable to that of a "lottery winner," presenting a jarring contrast to the somber nature of the tragedy.

Buckingham Palace has delivered a firm repudiation of the memoir's narrative, casting doubt on the reliability and framing of Earl Spencer's recollections. Royal officials emphasized that significant personal loss can profoundly distort an individual's perception of historical events, particularly when reflecting on emotionally charged periods across a span of decades.

In a formal response, a Palace spokesperson conveyed that His Majesty remains conscious of how the acute sorrow of fraternal bereavement can impair rational thinking, distort personal judgment, and alter memories in ways that others involved do not identify, even after many years have elapsed.

The royal household’s rebuttal comes in the wake of another contentious extract from the memoir, in which Earl Spencer alleged that Charles once dismissively remarked of Diana, "We'll forget her soon enough." Buckingham Palace had already rejected that characterization, maintaining its position as additional excerpts have continued to circulate in the press.

The controversial revelations are featured in Earl Spencer's forthcoming memoir, titled *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, which is scheduled for full release next week after portions were serialized by the Daily Mail. Broadcasters, including BBC News, have not yet been granted access to review the entire volume prior to its commercial launch.

Within the published passages, Spencer recounts the traumatic hours surrounding his sister’s death, beginning with a late-night telephone call from his sister Jane to his residence in Cape Town, South Africa, alerting him to the Paris collision. A sequence of subsequent communications followed throughout the night as the devastating reality of Diana's death was officially confirmed.

During these exchanges, Spencer claims he received a direct call from Charles. The author writes that while other individuals who contacted him were visibly shaken and struggled to voice their condolences or offer support, Charles exhibited an elevated mood that left a deeply troubling impression on him at the time.

Earl Spencer also details that Charles used the telephone conversation to explain that he had personally broken the news of Diana's death to their young sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. The prince reportedly spoke to the boys first thing that morning inside their respective bedrooms at the royal estate in Balmoral, Scotland.

The revelations arrive alongside silence from other key family members, as representatives for Prince Harry have formally declined to offer any commentary on the book's contents. Meanwhile, the Palace continues to refer to its earlier statement dismissing the portrayal of Charles's conduct in the wake of the tragedy.

Beyond the immediate aftermath of the 1997 crash, the memoir delves into the longstanding fractures that defined Diana and Charles's high-profile relationship prior to their August 1996 divorce. Spencer claims a friend of Diana disclosed that on the eve of their July 1981 royal wedding, Charles stated he was pleased to marry her but was not genuinely in love with her.

The author observes that severe strain emerged within the partnership almost immediately, noting that both individuals experienced periods of profound despair as the union deteriorated. Spencer suggests that fundamental incompatibilities and emotional distress plagued the couple throughout the duration of their marriage.

In assessing his sister's personal struggles, Earl Spencer suggests that Diana may have lived with undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He posits that this condition contributed to her experiencing Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, which he characterizes as an overwhelming emotional agony triggered by perceived criticism or rejection from those around her.

The memoir further discloses that Diana’s emotional turmoil led her to contemplate ending her life on multiple occasions during her later years. Spencer writes that her enduring devotion and love for her two young sons ultimately served as the critical anchor that prevented her from carrying out such thoughts.

The emergence of these claims presents a fresh test for public sentiment regarding historical disputes within the royal sphere. Observers are left to weigh whether the memoir will be received as an important, authentic perspective from Diana’s closest kin, or viewed critically as an unwelcome public airing of deeply private family grievances nearly thirty years after her death.