Charles Spencer’s revelations about Princess Diana’s troubled relationship with her stepmother have sparked fresh debate after royal confidante Lady Anne Glenconner offered a very different account of Raine Spencer’s character and her relationship with the late princess.
The Earl Spencer’s memoir has attracted attention for its personal details about Diana’s life, including his claim that she physically lashed out on three significant occasions. One incident reportedly occurred after their father, John Spencer, revealed his intention to marry Raine McCorquodale.
Diana’s relationship with her stepmother was widely understood to have been difficult, with tensions reportedly continuing for years. However, Glenconner has challenged the negative picture that can emerge from those accounts, highlighting Raine’s generosity and the support she provided to Diana’s father.
Speaking to HELLO!, the 94-year-old royal confidante explained that she had known Raine personally and had reasons to remember her with affection.
“I liked her. I was godmother to her daughter, Charlotte, and she was godmother to my daughter May, and she was very generous to her,” Glenconner said.
Her comments offered a personal perspective on a woman whose place in Diana’s family history has often been associated with conflict rather than affection.
Glenconner acknowledged that Raine’s relationship with the Spencer children may have been complicated, suggesting that the experience of the adults involved could differ significantly from that of the children.
“I think from the children’s point of view, she probably was difficult, but she was wonderful with Johnnie [Earl Spencer] – she saved his life when he was ill,” she explained.
The remark highlighted the important role Glenconner believed Raine played in the life of John Spencer, Diana’s father, who became the 8th Earl Spencer.
Glenconner also recalled that Raine and Diana eventually became close, offering a more complicated picture than one defined entirely by their earlier difficulties.
“And then, interestingly, she became great friends with Diana,” she added.
The comments arrive as Charles Spencer’s memoir continues to generate discussion about the private experiences that shaped his sister’s life. His account has brought renewed attention to family relationships that were largely hidden from public view during Diana’s lifetime.
The book has also faced scrutiny over its accuracy. After Piers Morgan raised concerns about a date in the memoir, Charles reportedly apologised for the error while maintaining that the mistake did not invalidate the broader events he described.
The latest disagreement surrounding Raine illustrates how personal recollections can differ, particularly when family relationships are viewed through the experiences of different people.
While Charles’s account describes painful moments in Diana’s relationship with her stepmother, Glenconner’s recollections emphasise Raine’s kindness and the care she showed towards her husband.
Neither perspective alone provides a complete account of every aspect of the relationship, and Glenconner’s comments do not necessarily disprove the incidents described in the memoir.
Instead, her testimony adds another dimension to the story, suggesting that Raine’s role within the Spencer family was more complicated than the image of an unwanted stepmother might imply.
For royal watchers, the contrasting accounts serve as a reminder that the private history of Diana’s family remains open to interpretation, even decades after her death.
