london —
King Charles wanted to focus on AI as he prepared to host a major summit to discuss the controversial technology.
But those hopes were dashed when a new royal scandal hit the front pages just hours before Thursday’s meeting began, threatening to overshadow the tech gathering and throw the family into turmoil.
The Daily Mail’s front page read: “Prince Charles’ shocking rant days after Princess Diana’s death”, while the Daily Telegraph said: “Palace hits back at Princess Diana’s brother”.
Buckingham Palace issued an extraordinary rebuttal on Wednesday after Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, said Charles had told her in the days after her death that “we will soon forget her,” according to excerpts from his upcoming book published in the Daily Mail.
Mr Spencer claimed that after Princess Diana’s death, Prince Charles (then the Prince of Wales) called him in an “emotional rage” and that Mr Spencer claimed that his sister did not want him to take part in Prince William and Prince Harry’s funeral procession.
New claims published by the Daily Mail in separate excerpts on Thursday say that when Prince Charles spoke to Spencer on the night of Princess Diana’s death, he “sounded giddy and elated, like someone who won the lottery.” CNN has not seen Spencer’s upcoming book, “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” which will be published next month.
The late Princess of Wales died in August 1997 after suffering internal injuries in a high-speed car accident in Paris. Her sons, then 15 and 12, walked in the funeral procession alongside the divorced Charles a few days later.
Spencer’s memoir looks back at a particularly sensitive period for the royal family.
Princess Diana, known as the “people’s princess,” was a beloved figure not only in Britain but around the world, but her untimely death at the age of 36 shocked the nation. The royal family’s initial response to her death was criticized as being too closed-minded, sparking a major constitutional crisis and widespread public backlash.
The memoir prompted Buckingham Palace to question Spencer’s personal judgment after Princess Diana’s death. This is an unusual intervention, even in the palace’s own words, and it speaks to the magnitude of the crisis in the eyes of the “company” as the royal family is sometimes portrayed.
“While we do not comment on books as a general rule, Her Majesty is mindful that even many years after such a loss, the pain of a brother’s grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways that others may not notice,” a palace spokesperson said.
To some royal observers, the company’s response echoed the late Queen Elizabeth II’s rebuke of several damning claims made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after they stepped back from royal life and left the UK for North America in 2021.
“Recollections may vary,” the Queen said at the time.
Excerpts from the book also detail Spencer’s perception of his sister’s unhappy relationship with Charles, including claims that his sister found a bracelet his then-fiancée had bought for Camilla and later tried to break off the engagement. She also claimed that Charles called Diana “chubby” shortly after their engagement, a comment that she found “shocking” as she suffered from an eating disorder. Many of these anecdotes have been previously reported by various biographers and news outlets. Contacted by CNN on Thursday regarding the latest excerpts, the Palace said it had “nothing further to add” to Wednesday’s statement.
This year has gotten off to a particularly rocky start for the British royal family, with Prince Charles’ younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in office while he was British trade envoy.
Mountbatten-Windsor resigned from her role in 2011 after coming under intense criticism over her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He strongly denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with Epstein and denied any personal benefit from his role as British trade envoy, according to British media reports.
After a quiet summer, the family would have hoped for a scandal-free end to the year, but Spencer’s memoir is set to be published soon after Harry and Meghan Markle’s surprise return, posing a number of new headaches for the family.
Amid the turmoil, senior members of the family will have a busy day of royal duties on Thursday.
On Thursday, Prince Harry made his first public appearance since returning to the UK with his family last month, arriving at the first Invictus Spirit Awards in London, a celebration honoring war veterans, veterans and community supporters. Celebrities in attendance included comedian James Corden, singers Jess Gyne and Ross Kemp.
Although neither Harry nor Meghan have acted as working royals since their return, the prince’s appearance shows he has no intention of avoiding the public eye.
Prince Harry arrives at the Invictus Spirit Awards
A spokesperson for the Sussexes said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were said to be “surprised” by Prince Charles’ letter earlier this month stating that the couple should be treated as “civilians”.
The couple and their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have largely stayed out of the spotlight since their return.
But they are not immune to all problems, making the decision to change their children’s schools just days into the new school year, citing security practicalities in particular.
The decision comes after British media reported that Meghan Markle had been granted a new security review for the first time since she resigned from royal duties, another sticking point between the couple and their family.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Wales, made their first official visit to the Scottish Isle of Bute on Thursday, PA media reported.
