Princess Diana Still Resented at Palace, Broadcaster Claims Amidst Earl Spencer's Revelations

Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby has asserted that Princess Diana continues to be "deeply resented" within Buckingham Palace, surfacing amid the fallout from explosive revelations by her brother, Earl Spencer. In his new memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," Earl Spencer claims that King Charles III told him "we'll forget her [Diana] soon enough" during a discussion about Prince William and Prince Harry participating in their mother's funeral procession.

Buckingham Palace issued an "unprecedented" strong response to Earl Spencer's claims, suggesting that his grief may have affected his "reason, judgment and memory." However, the Earl has doubled down on his account, stating unequivocally that those were the words spoken by the King. Dimbleby, who covered royal events for decades, suggested to BBC Radio 4 Today that the Palace has not held fond memories of the late princess, even nearly three decades after her death.

"Diana was the prime example of someone who didn't act like the rest of the Royal Family – she was fresh, new and exciting to the public and they really adored her," Dimbleby said. "And that was deeply resented in the palace. And still is. And this kind of tit for tat over who said what, and only two people know what was actually said just reignites all that."

Dimbleby recalled that many accused the Palace of failing to grasp Diana's impact in the aftermath of her death. This theme of the Royal Family being "behind the curve" was explored in his 2025 documentary series, "What's The Monarchy For?"

"And I think that's the real problem," he added. "The monarchy is still not facing up to the biggest issues we dealt with [in the documentary]. About its wealth, its failure to pay tax, about its privileges, about the way it is going.... All those things get talked about but nothing ever gets done."

Dimbleby described the Royal Family as "a bit of a soap opera" but cautioned against the institution becoming "trapped in this cycle of gossip." He noted the public's fascination with royal affairs, comparing them to personal family matters.

Earl Spencer, speaking from his Althorp estate, reiterated his commitment to the truth of his account of the phone call with Prince Charles. He stated that he had informed family and friends of the conversation at the time because he found it "so monstrous."

"I've only ever had two calls on the line with Prince Charles at any stage of my life," the Earl told the BBC. "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 recounted that Charles "went ballistic" and "ranted for a while" after Spencer indicated that Diana would not have wanted William and Harry to walk in her funeral procession. "And then he stopped and I thought, oh now, now he's gonna pull himself together and say something more appropriate," Earl Spencer said. "And then, he said, 'We'll forget her soon enough.'"

Earl Spencer stated that the remark left him stunned, leading him to end the call. The initial extract from his memoir generated significant global attention and has divided public opinion. A second extract published by the Daily Mail alleges that the royals allowed a "tormented" Prince Harry to "spin out of control" following his mother's death. In it, he describes Harry's appearance at the funeral procession as "tiny, and slight, and bereft," questioning how the child could bear such an ordeal.