Princess Diana's brother breaks his silence on Charles III, and Buckingham Palace responds
The Palace questioned Charles Spencer's account, in which he claims in a new book that the then-Prince of Wales made the comment just days after Lady Di's death, amid a dispute over William and Harry's participation in the funeral.
People gather to pay tribute on the anniversary of Princess Diana's death
In an unusual move, Buckingham Palace responded to allegations by Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, who claims that King Charles III claimed that his ex-wife would be forgotten "very soon" just a few days after her death in 1997.
The claims appear in "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," Spencer's new book, which is set to be published soon and from which the British newspaper Daily Mail has published some excerpts. Reuters and the Associated Press also reported on the allegations and the Royal Household's subsequent response.
According to Spencer, the comment was made during a heated argument with the then-Prince Charles over the preparations for Diana's funeral and, in particular, over the decision to have her sons William and Harry, aged 15 and 12 at the time, walk behind the casket.
The princess's brother claims he opposed the boys' participation because he believed Diana would not have wanted to subject them to such intense public scrutiny.
Spencer recounts that during a telephone conversation, he interpreted Charles's attitude as a sign of contempt toward Diana and a rejection of the enormous public outcry sparked by her death. According to his account, Charles reportedly told him, "You can be sure we'll forget her very soon."
Buckingham responded in an unusually direct manner.
Although he noted that the royal household does not usually comment on books about its members, a spokesperson pointed out that Charles III is aware that "the grief over the loss of a sibling can cloud reason, affect judgment and distort memories," even decades after a death.
The statement marks a rare public intervention by the Palace regarding an account related to the days following Diana's death.
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The dispute over William and Harry
Diana died at the age of 36 on Aug. 31, 1997 following a car accident in Paris. Her funeral was held in London on Sept. 6 of that year.
William and Harry then walked behind their mother's casket alongside their father, Prince Charles; their grandfather, Prince Philip and Charles Spencer, in one of the most memorable images from that funeral.
Spencer delivered the eulogy dedicated to his sister that day and promised that her family would protect her children.
The new book aims to offer, as Spencer himself previously explained, his version of Diana's story and the events surrounding her death, ahead of the 30th anniversary of the princess's death in 2027.
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