BREAKING NEWS: King Charles makes ‘terribly misguided mistake’ with major move
A royal expert has criticised King Charles’ response to Earl Spencer’s explosive claims about Princess Diana, describing the Palace statement as a “terribly misguided mistake”.
Richard Eden made the comments during an appearance on Palace Confidential, where he was joined by Rebecca English, former royal press secretary Ailsa Anderson and host Luke Blackall.
The discussion centred on Buckingham Palace’s unusually direct response to claims contained in Charles Spencer’s forthcoming memoir about his late sister.
Spencer alleges that the then-Prince Charles told him in the days following Diana’s death: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
The alleged private conversation has not been independently verified.
Palace Issued Rare Response
Buckingham Palace responded to the controversy with a statement that stopped short of directly addressing Spencer’s account line by line.
The Palace said: “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.”
The wording appeared to question whether grief may have influenced Spencer’s recollection of events.
However, Eden argued that issuing such a response was itself a mistake.
He said he believed there had been no need for the Palace to react so quickly to the allegations.
‘Terribly Misguided Thing to Do’
Speaking about the statement, Eden said he was deeply disappointed by the decision.
“I’m just terribly saddened and actually quite angry about it,” he said.
“I think it was a terribly misguided thing to do – to respond so quickly in this way.”
His criticism focused less on the precise wording of the Palace statement and more on the fact that Charles’ team chose to engage publicly with the claims at all.
Eden suggested that responding so rapidly risked giving further attention to allegations that might otherwise have remained part of a wider debate around Spencer’s book.
Expert Invokes Queen Elizabeth’s Approach
Eden compared the decision with the approach traditionally associated with Queen Elizabeth II.
“Throughout her 70-year reign, the Queen took that view of ‘never complain, never explain’,” he said.
The phrase has long been associated with the monarchy’s preference for avoiding public arguments over criticism and speculation.
Eden’s argument was that Charles may have been better served by following that approach rather than responding directly to a deeply personal claim concerning Diana.
His comments underline the debate now taking place not only over Spencer’s allegations, but also over how the Palace has chosen to handle them.
Spencer’s Claim Reopens Painful Royal History
The controversy stems from Spencer’s forthcoming memoir, which revisits the period surrounding Diana’s death in 1997.
His account includes the allegation that Charles made the “we’ll forget her soon enough” remark shortly after her death.
The claim has attracted widespread attention because of the sensitivity surrounding Diana’s legacy and the long-running public interest in her relationship with Charles.
The Palace statement suggests that the King’s side disputes Spencer’s recollection.
However, instead of issuing a straightforward denial, the response referred to grief potentially affecting memory and judgment.
That wording has itself now become part of the story.
Debate Turns to Palace Strategy
Eden’s criticism highlights a wider question over whether Buckingham Palace should have entered the dispute at all.
For some commentators, the strength of the response reflects how seriously the allegations were viewed.
For Eden, however, the decision represented a departure from the restraint traditionally associated with the late Queen.
His remarks make clear that he believes silence would have been the stronger option.
With Spencer’s memoir continuing to generate headlines, the dispute is now operating on two levels: the substance of his claims and the Palace’s decision to answer them.
As more extracts emerge, scrutiny is likely to remain focused not only on what Spencer says about the past, but also on how King Charles chooses to respond in the present.
