Earl Spencer has said his disputed claims about King Charles will not surprise Prince William or Prince Harry.
The intervention follows Buckingham Palace’s challenge to Earl Spencer’s account of a phone call after Diana died in 1997. The allegations appear in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which is due for publication on September 22.
Earl Spencer addresses William and Harry’s knowledge
Earl Spencer told Kuenssberg he did not like discussing what he had said privately to William and Harry. However, he revealed that his public revelation would not surprise either of Diana’s sons.
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Princess Diana’s brother guarded specific details of any private conversations with his nephews. He nevertheless insisted: “I will tell you that these words will not be a surprise to them.”
He stopped short of revealing their comments or confirming how each nephew responded. Earl Spencer also did not say whether either prince accepted his account.
Page Six reported that a source claimed Harry discussed the book with his uncle during a July visit to Althorp. The report did not include an on-record response from Harry about the allegations.
Earl Spencer did not describe William’s private reaction during the interview.
King Charles claim remains strongly contested
In the book, Diana’s brother alleges King Charles made a dismissive remark during a call after her 1997 death. An excerpt published by the Daily Mail alleges the King said: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough!”
The earl also claimed the then Prince of Wales sounded “giddily elated” during that conversation. He has maintained the account is accurate.
He told Kuenssberg: “I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said.”
Buckingham Palace has challenged his recollection without addressing each allegation individually. Its spokesperson said a brother’s grief could affect reason, judgement and memory many years later.
Diana’s brother rejected that suggestion, arguing he had been highly alert during the rare call.
Earl Spencer hopes brothers’ rift is resolved
The interview also covered William and Harry’s strained relationship. The earl said media coverage sometimes presents him as supporting Harry over William.
He denied choosing a camp, saying: “I’m on my deceased sister’s sons’ side, both of them.”
The earl added that he would be there equally for either nephew. He said there were reasons on both sides for the brothers’ relationship reaching this point.
His stated hope was simple: “I hope one day it’s resolved.”
Diana died aged 36 after a car crash in Paris in August 1997. William was 15, while Harry was three years younger.
Earl Spencer’s new book revisits the family’s grief and disputes surrounding the period after her death.
During the interview, he also compared media treatment of Diana with coverage of Harry and Meghan Markle. He described some tabloid articles as deeply unpleasant.
The earl urged people to learn from Diana’s experience, although he did not outline any specific proposal.
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