Charles Spencer Says His Father Had a Romance With the Young Princess Elizabeth
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, says his father had a romantic connection with Princess Elizabeth before she became Queen Elizabeth II.
Spencer makes the claim in his new memoir about his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales. The account comes from the first extract of the book, published by the Daily Mail, as described by Town & Country. More extracts are expected.
His father, John Spencer, was serving as an equerry, a full-time aide who attends a royal in daily public duties. Spencer writes that Lord Mountbatten summoned his father and told him that any hope of winning Elizabeth's affections was out of the question. That conversation ended the connection.
Spencer speculates about the motive. He suggests Mountbatten acted to clear the way for his nephew, Prince Philip, before Elizabeth began her romance with Philip. That is presented as Spencer's reading, not as a documented order.
The book is Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. Spencer describes it as a brother's tribute. It tells Diana's life as seen through her brother's eyes and runs 384 pages from Penguin Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK. It is scheduled to publish on Sept. 22.
The same memoir revisits the days after Diana's death. Spencer alleges that the then-Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, directed a "stream of anger" at him during talks over funeral arrangements, as reported by the BBC. The dispute centered on plans for the funeral of the Princess of Wales, according to The Guardian.
During that argument, Spencer claims Charles said "we'll forget her soon enough." That quote was reported by Fox News. Buckingham Palace responded with a short statement saying "fraternal grief can cloud reason."
What makes this stand out is the span. One memoir reaches back to a young princess before the crown and forward to a brother negotiating his sister's funeral. Both rest on Spencer's memory and his interpretation of private conversations decades ago.
