‘Gaslit by a king’: Charles Spencer breaks silence after Palace response to his Diana memoir
Charles Spencer Challenges Palace Statement Over Diana Memoir
Theindiapostdaily.com – Charles Spencer has criticised Buckingham Palace after it responded publicly to claims in his forthcoming memoir about conversations following the death of his sister, Princess Diana. The 61-year-old author said he was deeply unsettled by the Palace’s wording and viewed it as an attempt to cast doubt on his memory of events in 1997.
Spencer’s book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is scheduled for publication on 22 September. It revisits Diana’s life and death through the perspective of her younger brother, whose public tribute at her funeral became one of the defining moments of the period that followed her fatal car crash in Paris.
A dispute over memories of 1997
One passage from the memoir describes a disagreement between Spencer and the then-Prince Charles while plans were being made for Diana’s funeral. Diana died in August 1997 at the age of 36, and the arrangements that followed unfolded under intense public grief and global media attention.
Spencer writes that Charles made a remark about how the public would eventually move on from Diana. He recalls the future King telling him:
“Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
After extracts from the book emerged, Buckingham Palace issued an uncommon response. The Royal Household usually declines to address books or personal recollections concerning members of the Royal Family, making the statement notable.
The Palace did not directly reject the alleged remark. Instead, it said King Charles recognised that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory.”
“Gaslit by a king”
Spencer addressed the Palace intervention during an interview with Maggie Rulli for Good Morning America. He said the response left him angry and surprised, particularly because he felt it questioned his account without explicitly denying it.
“Well, it's not every day you're gaslit by a king, but I was really upset with that because I thought it was very, not only condescending, but not straight,” Spencer said.
He insisted that his recollection was clear and truthful, adding that the absence of a direct denial stood out to him.
“What I said is straight and true. And what did they come back with? That. It doesn't say he didn't say it either. That's what I found interesting. I was really shocked, actually.”
The exchange has renewed attention on the difficult days after Diana’s death, when members of her family and the Royal Family had to make decisions while navigating overwhelming mourning, security concerns and unprecedented public interest.
What Swan Song Covers
Swan Song: Diana, My Sister examines Diana’s childhood, her marriage to Charles, her role as a mother and the relentless scrutiny she faced during her years in public life. It also returns to the immediate aftermath of her death, including the funeral procession through London and the choices made around the ceremony.
Spencer has long been one of the most prominent voices within Diana’s family. At her funeral in Westminster Abbey, he delivered the eulogy that paid tribute to her character and promised that Diana’s sons would be protected from the pressures surrounding them. His relationship with her, and his role in the days after her death, give his latest account particular significance in the continuing public discussion of her legacy.
One of the book’s most sensitive subjects is the decision for Princes William and Harry to walk behind their mother’s coffin. William was 15 at the time, while Harry was 12. Spencer has written that he opposed the plan because he believed Diana would not have wanted her sons to be placed so visibly at the centre of such a painful public occasion.
The procession has remained one of the most enduring images from Diana’s funeral. Both William and Harry have spoken in later years about the impact of losing their mother at a young age, although neither prince has publicly addressed the specific claims in Spencer’s new memoir.
Why the Palace response matters
The Palace statement has created fresh controversy because it moves beyond the usual practice of withholding comment on royal books. Rather than contesting the alleged exchange directly, its wording focused on grief and the reliability of memory. Spencer has taken that as a personal challenge to his credibility.
For readers, the dispute illustrates how accounts of historic moments can remain emotionally charged decades later. Diana’s death was not only a private tragedy for her family but also an event that transformed the relationship between the monarchy, the press and the public. Questions about the decisions made in those days continue to attract close scrutiny.
The release of Swan Song: Diana, My Sister on 22 September is likely to bring further examination of Spencer’s memories, the Royal Family’s response and the lasting impact of Diana’s final years. The book arrives nearly three decades after her death, yet the debate surrounding her life, her children and the handling of her funeral remains intensely personal for those closest to her.
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