Queen Camilla Cites 'Togetherness' Amid Royal Rift Over Diana Memoir

Queen Camilla alluded to the ongoing public disagreement between Buckingham Palace and Earl Spencer by quoting a proverb about "togetherness" during her literary festival at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. The rift centers on claims made in Earl Spencer's new memoir concerning Princess Diana.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together," Camilla stated, referencing the proverb. She added, "The fact that we have 'gone far' is due to the incredible support offered to us by a huge number of booklovers: writers, actors, publishers and, above all, readers."

Camilla's remarks followed Earl Spencer's insistence that he is "telling the truth" after Buckingham Palace issued a statement suggesting that grief had clouded his "reason, judgment and memory." The dispute intensified after Earl Spencer alleged in his book, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," that King Charles made a comment about Diana being "forgotten soon enough" in the days after her death.

Earl Spencer detailed a phone call with Prince Charles in which he claimed the King reacted negatively to the idea of Diana's sons walking behind her funeral procession. According to Spencer, Charles said, "we'll forget her [Diana] soon enough." Spencer stated that he informed family and friends of the remark at the time because he found it "monstrous."

Buckingham Palace responded to the memoir's claims with an unusually strong statement, questioning Earl Spencer's recollection. However, Spencer has doubled down on his account, asserting that those were precisely the words spoken by the King. He told the BBC that he was "hyper alert" during the call and is certain of what was said.

The book's extracts have generated significant public discussion, with differing views emerging regarding the veracity of the claims. Other assertions in the memoir include that the late Queen Elizabeth II offered to restore Diana's royal title on the day of her funeral and that Diana had considered suicide due to unhappiness in her marriage to Prince Charles. Spencer also claimed that Charles sounded "giddily elated – like a lottery winner" shortly after Diana's death.

Meanwhile, details of a new BBC Arts documentary featuring Queen Camilla, titled "The Book That Changed My Life," were also revealed at the festival. The program, scheduled to air in October, will explore the transformative power of reading and is set to broadcast during the National Year of Reading 2026.