King Charles Sounded 'Giddily Elated' After Diana's Death, Earl Spencer Claims

Earl Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, has claimed that King Charles, then Prince Charles, sounded "giddily elated" and like a "lottery winner" in phone calls made after Diana's death in 1997. These allegations are detailed in Spencer's upcoming memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister."

Buckingham Palace has strongly refuted the credibility of the book's claims. A spokesperson for the palace stated, "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss."

Spencer recounts in excerpts published by the Daily Mail that he was alerted to the car crash on August 31, 1997, by a late-night call from his sister, Jane. During the subsequent calls that confirmed Diana's death, he alleges that then-Prince Charles telephoned him. "Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences and offers of help, he sounded giddily elated - like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time," Spencer wrote in his memoir.

According to Spencer's recollection, Charles informed him that he had told Princes William and Harry of their mother's death first thing that morning in their bedrooms at Balmoral. Diana and Charles had divorced in August 1996.

Representatives for Prince Harry have declined to comment on the book. Buckingham Palace reiterated its earlier response, which rejected accounts of Prince Charles's demeanor following Diana's death in Paris. The memoir is scheduled for publication next week, though the BBC has not seen the full text.