SHOCK: Princess Diana’s Brother Makes Explosive King Charles Claim Over Her D3ath
Earl Spencer has made a fresh and highly controversial claim about King Charles in his forthcoming memoir, alleging that the then-Prince of Wales sounded “giddily elated” during a phone call shortly after Princess Diana’s death.
The account appears in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which revisits the days surrounding Diana’s fatal car crash in Paris in August 1997.
According to Spencer, his phone was constantly ringing as friends and relatives called to offer their condolences.
He recalls most people struggling to speak because of the shock.
Charles, however, allegedly sounded very different.
Spencer writes that the future King appeared “giddily elated – like a lottery winner”.
The description is Spencer’s recollection and interpretation of a private conversation almost three decades ago and has not been independently verified.
Spencer Claims Charles Was ‘Strangely Matter-of-Fact’
In the memoir, Spencer alleges that Charles also sounded “strangely matter-of-fact” during the conversation.
Looking back on the exchange, Diana’s brother offers his own theory about what may have been going through Charles’s mind at the time.
He writes: “Looking back now, I suspect the prince’s first reaction must have been to think more of how this event might free him to marry the woman he loved, rather than appreciating the loss of one he did not.”
That suggestion is Spencer’s personal interpretation and is not presented in the source as an established fact.
His claim comes alongside several other allegations contained in the forthcoming book, many of which relate to the painful days before Diana’s funeral.
Palace Has Already Challenged Another Claim
Buckingham Palace has not directly responded to Spencer’s “lottery winner” description.
However, it has issued an unusually pointed statement concerning a separate allegation from the same memoir.
Spencer claims that during an argument about Diana’s funeral arrangements, Charles told him: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough!”
The Palace responded by saying: “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 appeared to question Spencer’s recollection without addressing every allegation individually.
Row Centred on William and Harry’s Funeral Role
Much of Spencer’s account focuses on arguments surrounding whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin.
William was 15 at the time, while Harry was just 12.
Spencer says a senior Palace aide informed him that the boys would take part in the funeral procession.
He claims he strongly objected because he believed Diana would not have wanted her sons subjected to such an intensely public experience.
According to Spencer, Charles later telephoned him and criticised the Spencer family’s sense of duty.
The Earl says Charles referred to his own experience of walking during Lord Mountbatten’s funeral in 1979.
Spencer says he responded by pointing out that Charles had been 30 at the time, unlike William and Harry, who were still children.
He claims that exchange triggered an angry reaction.
Spencer Makes Further Claim About Funeral Planning
Elsewhere in the memoir, Spencer alleges that royal aides were concerned about how the public might react if Charles walked behind Diana’s coffin.
He claims Sir Robin Janvrin, then the Queen’s Deputy Private Secretary, told those planning the funeral that Spencer should walk alongside Charles.
According to Spencer’s account, there were fears that Charles could face verbal abuse from members of the public if he walked alone.
He further claims that having William and Harry in the procession was seen as a way to reduce the possibility of hostile reactions.
Those claims again reflect Spencer’s recollection of the planning process.
Book Set to Reopen Debate Over Diana’s Final Days
Diana was 36 when she died following a car crash in Paris in August 1997 alongside Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.
Her death triggered extraordinary public grief and placed the Royal Family under intense scrutiny.
Nearly three decades later, Spencer’s memoir is revisiting some of the most sensitive events from that period.
The book is due to be published in the UK on September 22 and is expected to be translated into 12 languages.
It will reportedly explore Diana’s childhood, her marriage and the difficult aftermath of the crash.
For now, the latest claims remain Spencer’s account of private conversations and events from an intensely emotional period.
With Buckingham Palace already challenging the reliability of at least one of his recollections, the memoir appears certain to reignite debate over what happened behind closed doors in the days following Diana’s death.
