Spencer Memoir Says King Charles Predicted Diana Would Be Forgotten; Harry Was Told in Advance
Princess Diana's brother writes in a new memoir that King Charles III told him days after her death that the family would "forget [Princess Diana] soon enough."
The account comes from Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, Diana's younger brother who holds a hereditary British noble title, in his book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The book is set for release on September 22, according to Town & Country.
Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. At the time, she and Charles, then the Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne, were divorced. Spencer's memoir covers her childhood, her unhappy marriage and the period after her death, according to The Telegraph.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of Charles and Diana who now lives in California after stepping back from royal duties, was told about the claims before publication. He discussed the book with Spencer during a visit in summer 2026 to Althorp, the Spencer family estate in central England where Diana is buried. He has not read it.
Town & Country reported the advance warning. The same report noted that other coverage had said Prince Harry and his older brother, Prince William, Prince of Wales and next in line to the throne, had not been informed about the book's contents.
Buckingham Palace, the king's London headquarters and household office, said it does not comment on books as a matter of principle. In the same statement, it said the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory.
Spencer shared an early look at the memoir earlier in September. He said he believes his sister would have approved every word of it, according to People.
What makes this stand out is the distance between the memories. Spencer presents a brother's account from the days after 1997. The palace answers with a general statement about grief and memory. And Harry, who was 12 when his mother died, enters the story as a nephew told in advance but still waiting to read the full text.
