Earl Spencer has defended his claims regarding a conversation with King Charles III shortly after the death of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales. In an interview with the BBC, Spencer stated, "I'm telling the truth," in response to a rare statement from Buckingham Palace disputing his account.
Spencer's book, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," set to be published next week, includes allegations that the then-Prince of Wales sounded "giddily elated" and like a "lottery winner" when he called Spencer after Diana's fatal car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Spencer recounted being alerted to the crash by a phone call from his sister Jane in the middle of the night at his home in Cape Town, South Africa. He claims that unlike other callers who were stunned and offered condolences, Charles sounded unusually cheerful.
Buckingham Palace has not directly commented on Spencer's latest remarks but previously stated that "recollections may vary." Responding to this, Spencer told the BBC, "They've sort of smudged that one, haven't they?" He added, "I was hyper alert to what he was saying and those are precisely the words that he said and I promise that to you now. Genuinely, that is what he said. I don't hear him saying he didn't say that."
Spencer also mentioned that he informed family and friends of the alleged conversation at the time because "it was so monstrous." He suggested that the Palace's response aimed to cast doubt on his credibility, but he maintained his assertion of truthfulness.
The death of Diana, a highly popular public figure, created significant public grief and scrutiny of the Royal Family, who were accused of appearing out of touch with public sentiment. Earl Spencer's emotional funeral oration for his sister amplified the public's sense of grievance.
Prince Harry has previously spoken about the experience of walking behind his mother's coffin at the age of 12, describing it as something no child should endure, though he later expressed gratitude for having been part of the funeral day.