Late Princess Diana's brother claims King Charles told him, "we'll forget her soon enough" before funeral
King Charles and Buckingham Palace have rejected claims made by Earl Spencer in a new book regarding the King's reaction to Princess Diana's death. Spencer alleges that Charles sounded "giddily elated" and "like a lottery winner" the night she died, and later told him, "we'll forget her soon enough" before the funeral. While the Palace typically avoids public disputes, it issued a rare response to challenge these accounts. Earl Spencer has since insisted he is telling the truth about the phone call.
Listen to Live Briefing
Real-time synthesized voice briefing · Live Feeds Desk
- ✓ Buckingham Palace rejected claims that King Charles was elated after the death of Princess Diana.
- ✓ Earl Spencer claims King Charles sounded giddily elated the night Princess Diana died.
- ✓ Earl Spencer alleges that King Charles told him they would forget Princess Diana soon enough before her funeral.
- ✓ Earl Spencer maintains he is telling the truth regarding his account of the phone call.
What changed
Buckingham Palace issued a rare public rejection of Earl Spencer's claims that King Charles was elated after Princess Diana's death.
Live updates
-
King Charles denies Earl Spencer's claims about Princess Diana's death
King Charles and Buckingham Palace have rejected claims made by Earl Spencer in a new book regarding the King's reaction to Princess Diana's death. Spencer alleges that Charles sounded "giddily elated" and "like a lottery winner" the night she died, and later told him, "we'll forget her soon enough" before the funeral. While the Palace typically avoids public disputes, it issued a rare response to challenge these accounts. Earl Spencer has since insisted he is telling the truth about the phone call.
Why it matters
The dispute centers on the emotional state of the King during the immediate aftermath of the 1997 tragedy. It highlights ongoing tensions between the British royal family and the Spencer family. The Palace's decision to respond breaks the traditional royal protocol of never complaining and never explaining.
What is confirmed
- Buckingham Palace rejected claims that King Charles was elated after the death of Princess Diana.
- Earl Spencer claims King Charles sounded giddily elated the night Princess Diana died.
- Earl Spencer alleges that King Charles told him they would forget Princess Diana soon enough before her funeral.
- Earl Spencer maintains he is telling the truth regarding his account of the phone call.
Still unconfirmed
- Earl Spencer claims a lack of obvious care for Prince Harry after the funeral caused the prince to spin out of control.
What to watch next
- Further responses from Earl Spencer regarding the Palace's denial
- Release of specific evidence or recordings from the book's claims
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (12)
- People.com — King Charles Issues Rare Response on Charles Spencer’s Book Claim About Princess Diana
- NBC News — King Charles issues fiery response to Princess Diana’s brother over claims in new book
- CNN — Britain’s royal family wracked by fresh turmoil after brief summer respite
- Yahoo — 'Never complain, never explain': Buckingham Palace broke its own golden rule over Princess Diana claims
- CBS News — Late Princess Diana's brother claims King Charles told him, "we'll forget her soon enough" before funeral
- BBC — Charles 'sounded giddily elated' night Diana died, Earl Spencer claims
- The Guardian — Charles sounded ‘giddily elated‘ after Diana’s death, claims Earl Spencer
- The Guardian — Earl Spencer SLATES the king. Charles DESTROYS Spencer. If only Diana were here to click on it | Marina Hyde
- The Washington Post — Palace rejects claims King Charles was ‘elated’ after Princess Diana’s death
- CBS News — Princess Diana's brother claims Charles sounded "like a lottery winner" after she died
- www.realitytea.com — Princess Diana’s Brother Fires Back After Palace Challenges King Charles Claim
- pagesix.com — Princess Diana’s brother claims ‘lack of care’ for Prince Harry after mom’s funeral caused him to ‘spin out of control’
Community Sentiment: How do you assess this situation?
Voice your perspective · Real-time aggregated sentiment from the Live Feeds community