His dirty laundry is being aired! King Charles embroiled in controversy following the release of Princess Diana’s brother’s book
Por Miriam Gonzalez ·
A new book by Charles Spencer, brother of the late Princess Diana, has once again placed the British royal family at the center of international attention. The book, titled *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, compiles Spencer’s memories and allegations regarding his sister’s final years, her marriage to then-Prince Charles, and the events following her death.
Among the passages that have sparked the most controversy is the account of an alleged argument Spencer is said to have had with Carlos in 1997, shortly before Diana’s funeral.
The Controversy Surrounding Princess Diana’s Funeral
According to the princess’s brother, he questioned the palace’s plans to have Princes William and Harry, who were 15 and 12 years old, respectively, walk behind their mother’s casket during the funeral procession.
Spencer claims that he told Carlos that Diana would never have wanted her children to go through such a painful experience. According to his account, the then-prince reacted angrily and reportedly said to him, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
Count Spencer also maintains that Charles felt contempt for his ex-wife and that, following her death, he even displayed an attitude that Spencer interpreted as triumphant.
These statements prompted an unusual response from Buckingham Palace, which issued a statement after excerpts from the book were made public.
In its statement, the royal family noted that the grief caused by a loss can influence the way a person recalls events that took place many years ago.
“His Majesty is aware that the pain of losing a sibling can cloud one’s reasoning, affect one’s judgment, and color one’s memories in ways that others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss,” the statement said.
Spencer, however, stands by his statements and told the BBC that he is convinced he is recounting the events exactly as they happened. He even questioned the royal family’s response by asking whether Charles was “furious” or “embarrassed.”
The Difficulties in Diana and King Charles’s Marriage
The book also discusses the events leading up to Diana’s marriage to Charles. Spencer claims that his sister even considered calling off the engagement after discovering that the then-prince had bought a bracelet for Camilla Parker Bowles, who would later become his wife and is now Queen Camilla.
According to Spencer, Diana even told her father that it was obvious Charles didn’t love her. However, her father reportedly considered it impossible to call off an engagement of such magnitude.
The couple got married in 1981, when Carlos was 32 and Diana was 20. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1996.
The relationship between the Spencers and the royal family has been marked for decades by differences over the treatment Diana received. Following her death, Charles Spencer delivered an emotional speech at her funeral and promised that the princess’s blood relatives would keep her legacy alive while caring for her children.
Now, nearly three decades after the tragedy, his latest statements are bringing those conflicts back into the spotlight.
In the book, Spencer also addresses the emotional struggles his sister went through and states that Diana had suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, like her nephew Harry, she blames the paparazzi for the tragedy that occurred in Paris and maintains that the media’s harassment was a determining factor in her death.
Thus, *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister* reopens one of the most painful chapters in the recent history of the British royal family.