Princess Diana's youngest brother, Charles Spencer, claims in his forthcoming memoir that King Charles stated after Diana's 1997 death that she would soon be forgotten. Spencer recounts the alleged remark in his book, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," which is set to be released next week.
According to excerpts shared by the Daily Mail, Spencer and the then-Prince Charles had a heated phone conversation regarding whether Prince William and Prince Harry would participate in their mother's funeral procession. Spencer wrote that after a pause in Charles's angry tirade, he hissed, "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough!"
Spencer stated he was stunned by the comment and responded, "I can't believe you just said that," before ending the call.
In a separate development, four copies of Spencer's book were reportedly stolen from a truck in the Netherlands, prompting an investigation by Dutch authorities. A publishing source described the theft as "extremely suspicious" and unprecedented given the tight security surrounding the highly anticipated memoir.
Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement in response to the story. "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 color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss," a spokesperson said.
Spencer delivered a prominent eulogy at Diana's funeral, describing her as "the most hunted person of the modern age" and criticizing the relentless pursuit of information by the British tabloid press.
In a recent social media post, Spencer described his upcoming book as "the most personal of the ten books I’ve written over the past three decades" and "a brother's simple tribute to an extraordinary sister."