UNBELIEVABLE! King Charles takes fiery aim at Charles Spencer after astonishing claims
Buckingham Palace has issued a rare and unusually pointed response after Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, made explosive new claims about King Charles and the days surrounding her funeral.
The Earl Spencer has revisited one of the most painful periods in royal history in his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which focuses on his relationship with Diana and the events following her death in Paris in August 1997.
Among the most striking claims is Spencer’s account of an alleged heated phone conversation with the then-Prince Charles over whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin.
William was 15 at the time, while Harry was just 12.
Spencer claims he strongly opposed the idea of the boys taking part in the funeral procession, leading to a tense exchange with Charles.
The Palace has now responded, challenging Spencer’s recollection without directly addressing each allegation individually.
Buckingham Palace Issues Rare Response
A spokesperson speaking on behalf of King Charles 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 marked a notable intervention from Buckingham Palace, which generally avoids becoming involved in disputes surrounding memoirs and private family recollections.
Rather than issuing a direct denial of every detail, the statement questioned whether grief may have affected Spencer’s memory of what happened nearly three decades ago.
The comments came after extracts from his memoir were published ahead of the book’s release.
Spencer Makes Striking Claim About Diana
In one particularly explosive passage, Spencer alleges that Charles became angry during their conversation about William and Harry’s involvement in the funeral procession.
According to Spencer’s account, he initially allowed Charles to speak without interrupting before the conversation became even more heated.
“Prince Charles continued his stream of anger, without me interrupting,” Spencer wrote.
He claimed there was then a pause in the conversation, which he initially believed meant Charles was trying to regain his composure.
However, Spencer alleged that Charles then made a deeply cutting comment about Diana.
“‘Rest assured,’ he hissed, ‘we’ll forget her soon enough!’” Spencer wrote.
The allegation remains Spencer’s account of a private conversation and has not been independently established.
Buckingham Palace’s response appears to challenge the reliability of the recollection rather than confirm the exchange took place as described.
William and Harry at Centre of Funeral Dispute
The question of whether William and Harry should walk behind Diana’s coffin has remained one of the most discussed aspects of her funeral.
Both princes were still children when their mother died, and images of them walking behind the coffin alongside Charles, Prince Philip and Earl Spencer became some of the most recognisable photographs from the day.
Spencer’s memoir suggests there was significant disagreement behind the scenes over whether the boys should take part.
His concerns, according to his account, centred on their wellbeing and what Diana herself might have wanted.
The relationship between Diana’s family and the Royal Family had already experienced considerable tension during her lifetime, particularly following the breakdown of her marriage to Charles.
Her death intensified public scrutiny of both families and raised difficult questions about how William and Harry should be supported while grieving in the public eye.
Fresh Royal Tension Decades Later
Spencer had previously indicated that his memoir would revisit deeply personal events surrounding his sister’s life and death.
The newly published excerpts suggest the book will contain further accounts of private conversations and disputes involving senior royals.
That places King Charles in an unusual position.
The monarch and Palace officials generally favour carefully controlled public messaging, particularly when dealing with highly personal events from the past.
The decision to respond so quickly to Spencer’s claims therefore underlines how seriously Buckingham Palace appears to view the allegations.
However, the Palace statement does not establish precisely what was said during the alleged conversation.
Instead, readers are left with two sharply different perspectives: Spencer’s recollection of the events and the Palace’s suggestion that grief may have affected how those events are remembered.
With further extracts from Swan Song: Diana, My Sister still expected, the disagreement has once again placed Diana’s legacy — and the painful circumstances surrounding her death — at the centre of attention nearly three decades later.
