Charles Spencer Responds to King Charles With Strong Message After Palace Questions Diana Claims
Charles Spencer has responded strongly to King Charles after Buckingham Palace questioned recollections in his forthcoming Princess Diana memoir, accusing the monarch of “gaslighting” him as their disagreement over the past becomes increasingly public.
The Earl Spencer’s Swan Song: Diana, My Sister has already generated considerable attention ahead of its release, with excerpts containing personal claims about Diana, Charles and the aftermath of the Princess of Wales’s death.
Among the most striking recollections is Spencer’s description of Charles’ alleged reaction after receiving news that Diana had died following the tragic Paris car crash.
Spencer claimed the then-Prince Charles sounded unusually upbeat during one conversation, describing his manner as though he had “won a lottery,” an allegation that represents the Earl’s recollection rather than an independently established account.
Another disputed episode concerns a conversation about Diana’s funeral arrangements, during which Spencer alleges Charles became angry and told him: “We’ll forget her soon enough!”
The claims prompted Buckingham Palace to make an unusual intervention, despite the institution generally maintaining a policy of avoiding public responses to books about members of the Royal Family.
“While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle,” a Palace spokesperson said before addressing the effect intense grief can have on people experiencing a devastating family loss.
The statement continued that the King was 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.”
Rather than settling the disagreement, the Palace response has now prompted Spencer to defend his recollections and question the way Buckingham Palace chose to challenge his account.
According to The Mail, Diana’s brother described the response as “astonishingly provocative and below the belt,” making clear that he strongly rejected the suggestion that grief had distorted his memory.
Spencer then directed an especially pointed remark towards Charles, saying: “It is not every day you wake up to find you’ve been gaslit by the King.”
The accusation represents Spencer’s characterization of the Palace response. Buckingham Palace has not said that the Earl deliberately fabricated his account, instead questioning how grief may have affected memories of events nearly three decades ago.
Spencer has previously insisted that he stands by his recollection of the disputed conversations, meaning neither side currently appears to have shifted its position over what happened during that deeply emotional period.
With Swan Song yet to be released in full, further revelations could keep the disagreement in the spotlight. For now, Spencer’s latest response makes clear that he is unwilling to quietly accept the Palace’s version and intends to stand by the story he has chosen to tell.
