Charles Spencer Stands by Claim About King Charles After Princess Diana’s Funeral

Nearly three decades after Princess Diana’s death, a new dispute has erupted between her brother, Charles Spencer, and Buckingham Palace over what was allegedly said in the days following her funeral.

Spencer has strongly defended his account of a private phone conversation with the then Prince Charles, saying he is certain of what he remembers. His claims appear in his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which is being published as excerpts ahead of its September 22 release.

The alleged phone call

According to Spencer, the disagreement began over whether Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, should walk behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession in September 1997.

Spencer says he believed Diana would not have wanted her young sons to endure such a public ordeal. William was 15 at the time, while Harry was just 12.

Spencer writes that he received a phone call from Charles after objecting to the funeral arrangements. He describes the conversation as heated and claims Charles became angry while discussing the family’s sense of duty.

Spencer alleges that Charles eventually made a deeply hurtful remark about Diana, telling him: “We’ll forget her soon enough.”

Spencer says he was stunned by the alleged statement and ended the conversation.

Buckingham Palace responds

The claim prompted an unusual response from Buckingham Palace.

A palace spokesperson did not directly confirm or deny the details of the conversation. Instead, the statement pointed to the possibility that grief could affect someone’s recollection of events many years later.

The Palace said that the pain of “fraternal grief” can affect reason, judgment and memory.

The response was notable because Buckingham Palace generally does not comment on claims contained in books about members of the royal family.

Spencer refuses to back down

In a BBC interview, Spencer rejected the suggestion that his memory of the conversation had been distorted by grief.

He said the words were exactly as he remembered them and insisted that he was “telling the truth.” Spencer also said he had told friends and family about the alleged comment soon afterward because he considered it so shocking.

Spencer also questioned whether the Palace’s response reflected anger or embarrassment over the allegations.

A painful chapter in the royal family’s history

The controversy has reopened memories of one of the most emotional periods in modern British royal history.

Diana died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, aged 36. Six days later, millions watched as William and Harry walked behind her coffin alongside their father, Charles, their grandfather Prince Philip and Spencer.

Spencer’s memoir revisits those events from his personal perspective, including his memories of the funeral and his concerns about Harry’s emotional state during the aftermath.

The book also contains other claims about Diana’s relationship with Charles and the events surrounding her marriage and death. Those accounts are Spencer’s recollections and allegations; they are not independently established facts.

The dispute continues

With Spencer standing firmly behind his account and Buckingham Palace raising questions about the reliability of memories formed during profound grief, the disagreement has become one of the most closely watched royal controversies surrounding Diana in years.

For now, there are two competing accounts of a private conversation from 1997—and no independent recording or public evidence that conclusively establishes exactly what was said.

The information above reflects reports and allegations surrounding Spencer’s forthcoming memoir and the Palace’s response; disputed claims are presented as claims rather than established facts.