LONDON – Buckingham Palace issued an unusual and unusually forceful denial after the brother of the late Princess Diana claimed that then-Prince Charles said his first wife would soon be forgotten in the days after her death. In a soon-to-be published memoir, Charles Spencer recounts the emotional days after Diana’s death in 1997 in a car accident in Paris, at the age of 36. An extract published on Wednesday alleges a heated exchange with Carlos, now British. king, about whether Princes William and Harry, then aged 15 and 12, should walk behind their mother’s coffin in the funeral procession. Spencer says she expressed that Diana would not want them to endure such an ordeal, and claims this was met with an “undercurrent of anger” from Charles. The aristocrat writes that Charles “unleashed over the phone what I have always considered his repressed contempt for Diana and his horror that the world was so overwhelmed by her death. ‘Rest assured,’ he hissed, ‘we will soon forget her.'” The late princess’s brother alleges a heated exchange over whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin. a forceful statement denying the claims and suggesting that grief for her older sister may have affected Spencer’s memory. “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, Her Majesty is aware that the pain of brotherly grief can cloud reason, impair judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss,” said the statement, released Wednesday. Diana’s 1997 funeral procession is etched in modern memory. His brother and two young sons were among those who walked solemnly behind his coffin as it passed through central London. Other excerpts released on Thursday continued to make for difficult reading for the palace, reflecting on the breakdown of Diana and Charles’ marriage. Spencer wrote that her sister “told me that things got really, really difficult in the marriage from the beginning, and I’m sure both spouses drove each other to despair at times.” “I’m not hypocritical enough to judge or criticize anyone’s marriage history. I’m simply recording how my sister felt and I’m not evaluating whether she was right or wrong,” he adds. Spencer also wrote about her late sister’s struggle with an eating disorder, which Diana spoke about throughout her life, as well as her broader mental state, criticizing her transfer from a long-serving family doctor to a royal doctor. “It is a sad fact that, in her later years, Diana drove herself more than once to Beachy Head, the highest chalk cliff in England, as she contemplated ending it all. Her love for her children prevented her from going any further,” he wrote. Meanwhile, Spencer says that when she spoke to Charles on the phone in the hours after Diana’s death, “he sounded giddily elated, like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time.” Instead of appreciating the loss of someone who didn’t, it can be difficult to feel too much sympathy for a former spouse, or those who care deeply about them, after a bitter divorce.” The palace declined to comment further Thursday. Charles and Diana’s high-profile marriage ended in 1996. Tim Graham File/Getty Images India McTaggart, royal correspondent for The Telegraph newspaper, told NBC News of Wednesday’s statement: “Earl Spencer’s book is expected to contain several. of inflammatory claims, and perhaps it was the palace trying to take the lead and get ahead of some of the allegations we expect to see.” The royal family largely avoided comment when Prince Harry published his autobiography “Spare” in 2023, which also made global headlines with claims of bitter family feuds. Queen Elizabeth II famously issued a brief but forceful statement in 2021 following accusations of racism in the family of Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. “Recollections may vary,” the late queen noted. “The palace will no doubt brace itself for more headlines” as a result of the new memoir, McTaggart said. “At the same time, we will see Harry carrying out public engagements this week, while the king and the Prince and Princess of Wales continue with theirs. It will be interesting to see how all that is covered now that they are all in Britain at the same time.” marrying Charles in 1981. Their high-profile marriage ended in 1996 and she died a year later, after being pursued by paparazzi with her partner Dodi Fayed. Her death in a Paris tunnel paralyzed the world. At the time of her funeral, the royal family received criticism from the public and the press for appearing slow to react to the public’s outpouring of love and grief for a woman posthumously dubbed the “people’s princess.” Spencer’s book, “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” will be published on Tuesday. Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper is publishing excerpts ahead of publication. If you or someone you know is struggling or suffering emotional distress, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7. 988 Suicide & Crisis. For additional resources, visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources. The National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline provides support, resources and information on treatment options at 1-866-662-1235, Monday through Friday. You can also text “ALLIANCE” to 741741 if you are experiencing a crisis to have a trained volunteer contact you. You can find more information. about eating disorders, including other free and low-cost support options, on the National Eating Disorders Association website.
