Buckingham Palace denies Charles Spencer book claim about Princess Diana

Buckingham Palace has issued a rare and unusually forceful denial following claims published in a new memoir by Earl Charles Spencer regarding the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana. The developments arrive amid broader national conversations about the future of the institution, including remarks from political figures concerning younger royals such as Prince George.

The controversy stems from a soon-to-be-published book by Diana’s brother, which recounts the emotional days in the aftermath of the princess’s 1997 death in a Paris car crash at the age of 36. One published excerpt details a heated telephone exchange concerning whether Princes William and Harry—then 15 and 12—should walk behind their mother’s coffin in the funeral procession. Earl Spencer wrote that he expressed that Diana would not want them to endure such an ordeal, and he claims this was met with a stream of anger from the then-Prince Charles.

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According to the memoir, the British monarch allegedly unleashed pent-up contempt for Diana down the phone line. The aristocrat writes that the king stated his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death, hissing that the world would forget her soon enough. In response, Buckingham Palace issued a statement addressing the book directly, suggesting that enduring grief may have altered the author's recollection of events.

"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 color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss"

Buckingham Palace, Official Statement, via NBC News

The palace has historically maintained a strict silence regarding memoirs and public attacks, largely avoiding direct commentary when Prince Harry published his autobiography. Observers have drawn comparisons to past royal responses, noting Queen Elizabeth II's famous phrase regarding disputed accounts of family dynamics. Reporting from NBC News indicates that India McTaggart, a royal correspondent at The Telegraph newspaper, views the swift palace intervention as a preemptive strategy ahead of the book's official release next week.

McTaggart noted to NBC News that the palace will certainly be bracing for more headlines as a result of the new memoir, while members of the royal family continue to carry out their scheduled public engagements in Britain. At the same time, according to NBC News reporting, Prince Harry is carrying on with public engagements this week while the king and the prince and princess of Wales continue with theirs, all while being in Britain at the same time.

Concurrently, public debate surrounding the structure of the British monarchy continues to unfold across other platforms. According to Metro, former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recently argued in a television documentary titled The Royals: Time To Go that the institution should be dismantled to relieve future heirs like Prince George of burdens they did not choose. Sturgeon stated that the young prince does not know any different and has a certain life ahead of him with no choice over it.

Sturgeon’s remarks echo previous sentiments expressed by Prince Harry regarding feeling trapped within the royal system. In his and Meghan’s 2021 television interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry opened up about feeling trapped, stating that his father and brother are also trapped and do not get to leave. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals and moved to the United States to live a life away from the monarchy.

As the publication date for Earl Spencer's memoir approaches, further updates and reactions are expected as the book hits shelves.