EXCLUSIVE: Piers Morgan declares ‘royal war’ over Earl Spencer’s King Charles claims
Piers Morgan has declared an “open Royal war” after explosive claims about King Charles emerged from Earl Charles Spencer’s forthcoming memoir about Princess Diana.
The broadcaster reacted after excerpts from Swan Song: Diana, My Sister were published ahead of the book’s release, including Spencer’s account of private conversations he says took place around the time of Diana’s death in 1997.
Among the most striking allegations is Spencer’s claim that the then-Prince Charles told him: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
The alleged remark is Spencer’s recollection of a private conversation and has not been independently established.
Buckingham Palace has responded unusually firmly, questioning how grief may have affected the Earl’s recollection of events almost three decades later.
Piers Morgan Reacts to Explosive Claims
Morgan initially reacted to the published extracts on X, writing: “My God… the bombshells in here are off the charts.”
He later highlighted another passage from Spencer’s book that he believed was particularly damaging to the King.
In the extract, Spencer recalls receiving a telephone call from Charles shortly after Diana’s death.
According to Spencer, Charles sounded markedly different from other people who had called to offer condolences.
Spencer claims: “Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences and offers of help, he sounded giddily elated – like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time.”
That description represents Spencer’s interpretation of Charles’s tone during the alleged conversation rather than an independently verified account of the King’s emotions.
Morgan Says Claims Are ‘Deliberately Aimed’ at King
Morgan also drew attention to a separate passage from the memoir involving Diana.
After sharing the extracts, he wrote: “My God… these two lines from Earl Spencer’s book on Diana.”
He continued: “Hard to imagine more incendiary claims, or ones more deliberately aimed to harm King Charles’ reputation.”
Morgan then delivered his dramatic verdict: “This is an open Royal war now.”
His comments reflect his own assessment of the growing public dispute between Spencer’s account and the Palace’s response.
The memoir, which presents Diana’s story from the perspective of her brother and the wider Spencer family, is expected to revisit the period surrounding her death as well as tensions involving the Royal Family.
Palace Issues Rare Response
Buckingham Palace has challenged the claims rather than leaving them unanswered.
A spokesperson 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 judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
The statement does not offer a detailed point-by-point rebuttal of Spencer’s recollections.
Instead, it directly raises questions about the reliability of memories formed during a period of intense grief.
The Palace is also reported to regard some of the allegations as inconsistent with the King’s character and with the emotions he was experiencing following Diana’s death while also supporting their sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Former Palace Aide Questions Language
Julian Payne, who previously served as Charles’s communications secretary, has also questioned the wording attributed to the King.
Speaking to the BBC, Payne said the alleged remarks were “just not language that I recognise”.
He also described the Palace’s decision to respond publicly as “highly unusual”, suggesting the statement demonstrated the seriousness with which the claims were being viewed.
That intervention adds another voice to a dispute that currently rests largely on sharply differing recollections and interpretations.
Spencer is presenting his memories of events surrounding his sister’s death, while people who worked closely with Charles have challenged whether those accounts reflect the man they knew.
Diana’s Death Back at Centre of Royal Row
The controversy has once again placed Diana’s death and the aftermath of the 1997 tragedy at the centre of public discussion.
Her relationship with Charles, the treatment of William and Harry during the funeral period and the tensions between the Spencer and Windsor families have all remained deeply sensitive subjects.
Now, nearly three decades later, Spencer’s memoir has reopened those arguments.
Morgan’s description of an “open Royal war” captures the intensity of the public dispute, but it remains his own characterisation rather than an official description from either family.
With Swan Song: Diana, My Sister due for release shortly, further claims from the book could bring even more scrutiny to one of the most painful chapters in modern royal history.
