london —
Lord Charles Spencer, in delivering a powerful eulogy for the late Princess Diana, vowed to protect her sons – whom he called her “blood family” – from the suffering that regularly drives his sister to “tears of despair”.
Nearly 30 years later, the claims made in his new book risk driving a “dagger into the heart” of his two sons, as one British newspaper put it.
In excerpts released this week, Spencer claims he had an “angry outburst” over the phone after Princess Diana’s death, as his former brother-in-law (now King Charles) claimed he did not want Prince William and Prince Harry to join him in the funeral procession.
The king was also accused of saying he would “quickly forget about her”, a claim categorically rejected by Buckingham Palace.
In an unusually strong statement, the palace suggested Mr Spencer’s judgment was clouded by emotion and that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
In comments published Sunday, Spencer called the remarks a form of gaslighting, or manipulation that makes someone question their own reality.
“It’s not every day you wake up and find yourself gassed by the King,” he told the Mail on Sunday.
Some British media and royal commentators have questioned the purpose of dragging on the past, while others have defended Mr. Spencer, saying his book shows he prioritized family over royal tradition.
Charles Spencer was born in London on May 20, 1964, into a prominent British aristocratic family with ties to the modern royal family. The late Queen Elizabeth was his godfather.
In 1508, the family purchased the manor of Althorp in West Northamptonshire, England, about two and a half hours’ drive north of London, and their ancestral home remains there to this day.
Spencer was educated at Eton College, a prestigious school in England’s Berkshire County, just a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle. He then attended Magdalen College, Oxford University, where he studied modern history, according to his website.
Spencer then worked as a journalist and spent 10 years as an on-air correspondent for the American television network NBC News starting in 1986.
He has written several books, including titles that explore his family’s past and books on royal figures such as Charles II. According to his website, he has five daughters and two sons from his first three marriages.
Princess Diana’s brother claims Prince Charles told him: ‘You’ll soon forget about her’
Princess Diana’s brother claims in his new memoir that King Charles told him days after his sister’s death: “We will soon forget her,” according to excerpts published by the Daily Mail. Buckingham Palace responded by saying, “The pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason.”
Although less than three years apart in age, Diana and Spencer were very close as children and grew up at Althorp House, a stately and leafy mansion in west Northamptonshire.
Spencer remembers their childhood fondly, saying the two spent a lot of time together, especially during their parents’ divorce.
However, like many siblings, their relationship was not without its conflicts.
The rift between the two was documented in a series of letters that came to light during the theft trial of Princess Diana’s former butler in 2002.
The Telegraph, which reported on the trial, said that after Princess Diana separated from the then-Prince Charles, she asked to live in a “garden house” on the family estate, which was initially accepted, but later rejected by Mr Spencer, who suggested an alternative property on the estate.
Another letter cited in the trial referred to a phone call between the brothers, in which Princess Diana hung up on her brother.
Despite this upset, Spencer published an emotional eulogy in 1997 praising Princess Diana as “the very essence of compassion, duty, style and beauty”.
In his speech, he recalled a childhood in which Princess Diana “mothered me as a baby, fought with me at school, and endured long train journeys between her parents’ homes with me on weekends.”
Mr Spencer called his sister “the most sought-after person of our time” and slammed the British media’s treatment of her. The words of condolence caused applause not only inside the church but also among the crowd listening outside.
Shortly after the then Prince of Wales and Princess Diana met at Althorp House in 1977, Spencer had warm feelings for Charles.
“He was totally hilarious and charming, so I felt really relaxed,” Spencer told CNN in 1999 about the couple’s wedding plans. “The fact that it was Prince Charles was obviously extraordinary, but other than that he was just interested in exams and sports at school.”
However, that relationship has very publicly broken down in recent days.
The war of words began on Wednesday after Spencer said days after Princess Diana’s death that her former brother-in-law told her she would soon be forgotten, according to excerpts from Spencer’s upcoming book published by the Daily Mail.
Buckingham Palace issued a rare rebuttal to Spencer’s claims, saying: “The pain of sibling grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memories in ways that are unrecognizable to others, even years after such a loss.”
Charles’s alleged comments had not previously been reported.
In a 1999 interview, Spencer told CNN that Charles was “perfectly polite” on the day of the funeral. “We took the train together from London to go to the burial at his parents’ home and he never said anything bad to me about it,” Spencer said.
Some commentators have pointed to the impact such revelations will have on Prince William and Prince Harry, who are navigating a rocky relationship, especially after the sudden return of the Sussexes (who are known to maintain close ties to the Spencer family).
In an interview with the BBC that aired on Sunday, Mr Spencer also drew parallels with the media’s treatment of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan and Princess Diana.
He said his sister was “very sensitive to criticism” and said it was “unfortunate” to see a “backlash” in the Sussexes’ treatment, adding that people should learn from Princess Diana’s experience.
“I’m not here to speak for Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, but for someone who is being destroyed like this every day, it must have a very cancerous effect on their lives,” he told the outlet.
Earlier this year, Harry and Meghan, along with their children, visited Princess Diana’s ancestral home, where she is buried on a small, off-limits island.
In 2024, when Prince Harry briefly returned to the UK to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, several members of the Spencer family attended the celebration and supported him. Before the event began, Prince Harry was seen chatting with his aunt Lady Jane Fellowes, who was seated directly behind him with his uncle.
The recent public clash between the Spencers and Windsors is therefore a test of alliance for the British royal family. Many would have hoped that the Sussexes’ return would be a new start for the family. Instead, new fractures seem to be occurring.
