Sunday, September 20, 2026 - King Charles has faced an unusually direct public response from Buckingham Palace following explosive claims made by his former brother-in-law, Charles Spencer, in his forthcoming memoir about Princess Diana.
Spencer alleges that, after Diana’s death in 1997, the then Prince Charles told him, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough,” during an argument over funeral arrangements. Spencer also claims Charles appeared “giddily elated” when they spoke shortly after Diana’s death. The allegations have prompted a rare intervention from the Palace.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson responded that the King was mindful that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory,” a statement widely interpreted as challenging Spencer’s recollection of events.
Spencer has rejected that suggestion and has stood by his account, saying he clearly remembers the conversation and is telling the truth. The dispute has now developed into an unusually public exchange between the King and Diana’s brother, with Spencer accusing Charles of “gaslighting” him following the Palace response.
The controversy comes just days before the publication of Spencer’s memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which revisits Diana’s life, death and the events surrounding her funeral.
The claims have reopened deeply sensitive questions surrounding the Royal Family’s response to Diana’s death and the long-running tensions between Spencer and King Charles.
With Spencer continuing to defend his version of events and the Palace standing behind its carefully worded response, the memoir is likely to keep the family’s painful past in the spotlight as its September 22 release approaches.
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