Earl Spencer Claims King Charles Stamped Foot Like 'Petulant Child' Over Inheritance
In his forthcoming memoir, Earl Spencer alleges a tense exchange with Prince Charles on the day of his father's funeral, where the future king expressed frustration about his own inheritance situation.
Earl Spencer claims that then-Prince Charles stamped his foot and behaved like a "petulant child" during a conversation over 30 years ago, on the day of his father's funeral. According to excerpts from Spencer's forthcoming memoir, "Swan Song," the future King of England expressed frustration about his own inheritance.
The exchange, detailed by Spencer, took place in April 1992 after the funeral of John Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer. The younger Earl Spencer, then 27, had just inherited the family's 13,000-acre estate at Althorp. In the tapestry sitting room at Althorp, after a funeral service, Earl Spencer reportedly shared that he had become emotional seeing his father's coffin carried by long-serving staff.
Prince Charles, who was 43 at the time, allegedly responded by saying, "You're so lucky!" Spencer, unsure if he heard correctly, asked for clarification. Charles then elaborated, "You're just so lucky – you know, inheriting when you're so young!" He continued, according to Spencer's account, "You're inheriting this place in your twenties. And, I mean, I'm 43…and I employ 50 people… but my parents insist on treating me like – like a child!"
Earl Spencer recounts that Prince Charles "stamped his foot in emphasis," describing the action as "very much like a child; and a petulant one, at that."