Prince William Feels 'Betrayed' by Uncle's New Memoir
Charles Spencer's book about their mother, Princess Diana, reignites familial tensions.
Prince William is reportedly feeling a sense of betrayal following the release of his uncle Charles Spencer's new memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister." The book delves into deeply personal and traumatic events, particularly concerning Princess Diana's 1997 funeral.
According to royal commentator Kinsey Schofield, the publication of the book by Diana's brother has created a rift. "With Prince William, there is an additional sense of betrayal because this is coming from his own uncle," Schofield told Page Six. Spencer writes in his memoir that he strongly opposed King Charles III's decision to have his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, walk behind their mother's casket during the funeral procession. Spencer recounts a heated argument with Charles over the matter, but the procession proceeded as planned.
Schofield noted that Spencer had publicly pledged to protect Diana's sons. "Nearly three decades later, William is watching that same uncle reopen some of the most traumatic events of his childhood while making very damaging allegations about his father," she stated.
Schofield suggested that the situation is particularly complex for William, who is not only Diana's son but also the future King of England. The ongoing royal discord, she explained, risks damaging the institution William is destined to inherit. "I think there is a very real question within William’s orbit about how resurrecting disputed private conversations from 1997, attacking the current King, and reopening one of the ugliest periods in the family’s history is supposed to benefit either of Diana’s sons," she added.
Schofield questioned the motivation behind Spencer's revelations, implying that Diana herself would not have prioritized such disclosures over her children's peace. "Does anyone really believe that Diana would sacrifice the peace of her adult children to have this one sentence out in the world?" she asked.
William, 44, has reportedly spent years striving to protect his mother's memory and resist the constant public dissection of her life and death. "For that boundary to now be crossed by Diana’s own brother makes this particularly painful for William," Schofield commented.
Sources indicate that both William and Charles are experiencing significant frustration and anger, albeit for different reasons. King Charles III is reportedly angered by what he perceives as character assassination based on a decades-old private conversation. Having endured public criticism in the 1990s following his divorce from Diana and her subsequent death, Schofield noted that being portrayed negatively during this period is familiar territory for the King.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry has reportedly been cultivating a relationship with Spencer, amid rumors of a documentary project about Princess Diana involving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Royal journalist Tom Sykes suggested that Spencer's name carries weight and could lend credibility to such a project. "What Harry and Meghan are actually doing back in the UK is finally revealed — they are making a Diana film, and Spencer is likely being lined up as its star," Sykes claimed.
William and Harry's relationship has been strained since 2020, following Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step down from royal duties and their subsequent public criticisms of the monarchy. Despite their return to the UK, the brothers have not yet reconciled, although reports suggest a thawing in the relationship between Prince Harry and his father, King Charles III.