Princess Diana’s brother rocks the British royal family with a book about Lady Di
Por Miriam Gonzalez ·
Count Charles Earl Spencer’s memoirs about his sister, the late Princess Diana, have shaken the British monarchy by reigniting controversies over her relationship with the royal family, less than a year before the 30th anniversary of her tragic death.
In “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister” (Swan Song: Diana, My Sister), published this Tuesday, the earl recalls both happy moments from his childhood and the turmoil of her marriage to the then-Prince Charles, as well as the devastation caused by the fatal car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997.
As excerpts from the book have been serialized in recent days, the “Daily Mail” has broken sensational revelations, such as the alleged coldness of the now-King Charles III in organizing his ex-wife’s funeral, to which the monarch responded last Wednesday with an unusual statement in which he questioned his former brother-in-law’s account.
The controversy is yet another chapter in the long and complex relationship between the Windsors and the Spencers, two of Britain’s great aristocratic families, whose fates have been intertwined for centuries through alliances, marriages, and power struggles.
Diana’s own father, Edward Spencer, was a page to George VI and Elizabeth II, and, according to the memoir, had a “romantic relationship” with the then-Princess Elizabeth that the royal family eventually put an end to.
Conflicting accounts about Princess Diana in her brother’s book
Spencer recounts that, after learning of his sister’s death, Carlos called him on the phone and that, unlike others who had spoken to him, he sounded “elated, like a lottery winner.”
“I suspect the prince’s first reaction must have been to think more about how that event might free him to marry the woman he loved (the current Queen Camilla) than to mourn the loss of someone he didn’t love,” the author reflects.
A few days later, according to the count, the two argued over the decision to have William and Harry walk behind their mother’s casket—a decision Diana’s brother opposed.
“Rest assured that we’ll soon forget her,” snapped the heir to the throne.
In response to these accusations, Charles III, through a spokesperson, issued an unprecedented statement: “Although, as a matter of principle, we do not comment on books, His Majesty is aware that the grief over the loss of a brother 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.”
Royal experts believe that the statement allows the palace to respond to this and future allegations without having to comment publicly on each occasion, and they note that it avoids, at the same time, a categorical denial.
In an interview with the BBC, Spencer pointed out that the statement did not explicitly deny what had happened: “I don’t hear him saying he didn’t say that.”
Elsewhere in the book, the count explains that Diana, whom he adored, went through some very difficult times under intense media scrutiny following their separation and even contemplated taking her own life.
He also maintains that, like himself, she may have had an undiagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a possibility he links to her concentration and learning difficulties, as well as to her impulsivity and sensitivity to criticism.
Control of Princess Diana’s Estate
In his remarks to the public broadcaster, Spencer explained that he decided to write the book after receiving numerous requests from journalists to give his side of the story before the anniversary of Lady Di’s death.
She said she doesn’t want to attack the king, but rather to do justice to her sister by debunking certain myths—such as the idea that she was always unhappy—and to honor her by recalling her charisma, her love of fun, and her love for her children.
He also explained that the realization of his own mortality led him to write his definitive account of Diana. “One of the reasons I called this book ‘The Swan Song’ is because it is my farewell. This is my final word, a celebration of her,” he said, alluding to the belief that swans sing one last song before they die.
Spencer said that his words would not “surprise” Princes William and Harry, and that he hopes to be a “benevolent” figure they can turn to.
For his part, Carlos III, who succeeded Isabel II to the throne on September 8, 2022, continues to build the legacy of his reign, while undergoing treatment for cancer and with his two children still estranged from him, according to Agencia EFE.