Prince William left heartbroken after an emotional plea to his uncle Earl Spencer to allow Princess Diana to rest in peace was allegedly not heeded, deepening tensions surrounding the publication of Spencer’s memoir.
The Prince of Wales is said to have asked Spencer to avoid reopening painful chapters of Diana’s life as Swan Song: Diana, My Sister brings renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding her death and her relationship with the Royal Family.
According to a source cited by New Idea, William shares concerns expressed by Diana’s sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, who are reportedly uncomfortable with the renewed focus on their sister’s most painful experiences.
The insider claimed William has found the renewed controversy particularly difficult because he believes his mother’s memory should be honoured without creating another round of conflict within the family.
“William’s heartbroken that this is all being dragged up again,” the source claimed, adding that the future King had allegedly “begged Uncle Charlie to just let his mum rest in peace.”
The source further claimed that William does not want Diana’s life to become another source of division between members of the Royal Family and the Spencer family.
“He doesn’t want her turned into another chapter or make family tensions worse,” the insider said, describing what it claimed was William’s private position on the memoir.
Spencer, however, has defended the book and described Swan Song as his final statement about his sister, telling the BBC that it was his “final word, celebration of her.”
His description suggests that Spencer views the memoir differently from the concerns attributed to William and Diana’s sisters, presenting the project as an attempt to commemorate Diana rather than reopen old disputes.
The book has nevertheless generated controversy because Spencer made a number of claims concerning King Charles and events surrounding Diana’s death and funeral.
Those allegations have contributed to renewed scrutiny of the relationship between the Spencer family and the monarchy, particularly because William remains one of the central figures in Diana’s legacy.
The New Idea source claimed Diana’s sisters were disappointed because they had expected the book to serve primarily as a tribute to their sister rather than become another vehicle for discussing unresolved family tensions.
“They were promised a homage to Diana, and instead it’s turned into yet more fodder,” the insider claimed.
The allegations attributed to the source have not been publicly confirmed by William, Lady Sarah or Lady Jane, and there is no public evidence establishing that William personally asked Spencer to stop discussing Diana.
Spencer has also maintained that his memoir is intended to tell Diana’s story from his own perspective, rather than being written as an attack on the Royal Family.
For William, however, the renewed attention surrounding his mother comes at a particularly sensitive time, as preparations begin for the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death in 2027 and speculation grows over how the occasion will be marked.
The reported disagreement highlights the difficult balance between preserving Diana’s memory and allowing members of her family to tell their own versions of her story, with William and Spencer appearing to have very different views over how that should be handled.
