Charles Spencer Says King Charles Sounded 'Elated' After Diana's Death in New Memoir
Diana, Princess of Wales's younger brother says King Charles III sounded "giddily elated — like a lottery winner" when they spoke after her death in 1997.
The claim comes from Charles Spencer's memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, set for global release on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Excerpts are being serialized by the Daily Mail, as reported by Town & Country.
Spencer writes that the call took place in the immediate aftermath of the princess's death in a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. At the time, Charles was the Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne.
In the excerpt, Spencer says Charles told him he had informed his sons that morning in their bedrooms at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the royal family's summer residence. Prince William was then 15 and Prince Harry was 12.
Spencer also writes that he suspects Charles's first reaction was to think of how Diana's death might free him to marry the woman he loved, rather than reckoning with the loss. In a separate passage from the days after the death, Spencer claims Charles told him, "we'll forget her soon enough."
Those passages rest entirely on Spencer's account. No independent corroboration has been reported.
Buckingham Palace, the monarch's London headquarters, responded with a statement quoted in the same report: "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss."
What makes this account difficult is the source. It is a brother writing about his sister nearly 30 years after her death, and a grieving family member describing private phone calls that no one else heard.
The book is Spencer's telling of the princess's life from his perspective. It will be published by Penguin Press. Spencer said last month he intended to "tell the truth" about his sister. The manuscript drew early attention after it was reported stolen ahead of publication, according to People.
