Earl Spencer Reaffirms Account of Prince Charles's Remarks on Diana

Earl Spencer has reiterated his assertion that he is telling the truth about remarks made by Prince Charles shortly after the death of Princess Diana. In his forthcoming autobiography, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," Spencer alleges that Charles, then Prince of Wales, stated, "We'll forget her soon enough" during a dispute over Prince William and Prince Harry's participation in their mother's funeral procession.

Buckingham Palace issued a rare public statement in response, suggesting that "the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss." However, Spencer, speaking from his Althorp estate in Northamptonshire, maintained his account to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg. "I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said," Spencer stated.

He recounted that he had informed friends and family of the alleged comments at the time, describing them as "monstrous." Spencer told Kuenssberg that he had only spoken with Prince Charles on two occasions in his life and was therefore highly attentive to the conversation. "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," he affirmed.

Spencer described Charles as having "went ballistic" and "ranted for a while" after Spencer suggested Diana would not have wanted her sons to walk in her funeral cortège. According to Spencer, Charles then paused before uttering the words that "stunned" him, leading him to end the call. The Earl's book is scheduled for publication next week.