King Charles Responds to Claims in Princess Diana's Brother's Memoir
Buckingham Palace suggests grief may have affected Charles Spencer's memory of the monarch's alleged remarks after Diana's death.
King Charles III has issued a formal statement addressing claims made in a forthcoming memoir by Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer. The monarch's response suggests that the intense grief following Diana's death may have impacted Spencer's recollection of events and judgments.
Spencer's book, titled “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” reportedly alleges that King Charles vowed Princess Diana would be “forgotten soon enough” shortly after her fatal car crash in 1997. According to the Daily Mail, Spencer described this alleged remark as reflecting the monarch's "pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death."
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace stated, “His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss.” This rare public comment from the King indicates a direct challenge to the veracity of the accounts presented in Spencer's memoir.
Princess Diana died at the age of 36 in a car accident in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. She was traveling with driver Henri Paul and her partner, Dodi Fayed, when the crash occurred. The incident followed a pursuit by paparazzi.
Spencer's memoir is scheduled for release on Tuesday.