King Charles has issued a rare statement responding to a claim made in an upcoming book by his late ex-wife’s brother, Charles Spencer. Spencer alleges that during a disagreement over the arrangements for Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997, then-Prince Charles told him, “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” The disagreement centered on whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin during the funeral procession. Buckingham Palace responded by stating that grief can affect reason, judgment, and memory, even years after a loss.
Spencer’s memoir, “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” details his perspective on Diana’s life and the events following her death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, at the age of 36. He previously described the decision to have his nephews walk behind the coffin as “bizarre and cruel” in 2017, and in his 2023 memoir, Prince Harry wrote that “several adults were aghast” at the proposal.
The Palace’s response is unusual, as it typically does not comment on books or reports about the royal family, having also remained silent following the release of Prince Harry’s memoir, “Spare.” The statement acknowledged the impact of grief on perception, suggesting that memories of the time may be clouded by emotional distress. Spencer intends his book to offer a truthful and positive portrayal of his sister.
Our reading is that this exchange represents a carefully managed attempt to address a potentially damaging claim while simultaneously acknowledging the distorting effects of grief. The Palace’s unusual response suggests they perceive Spencer’s book as a significant enough challenge to warrant breaking with established protocol, but they are framing their reply as a general observation about memory rather than a direct denial. This allows them to cast doubt on the accuracy of Spencer’s recollection without explicitly accusing him of misremembering.
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