Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, has spent decades observing the British royal family from an unusually close position. Now, he is sharing what he believes makes joining the monarchy particularly difficult for people who were not born into it.
The comments come amid renewed attention surrounding Spencer and the royal family following the release of his memoir about Diana. EntertainmentNow covered King Charles’ rare response to one of Spencer’s claims about the aftermath of Diana’s death.
During a Sept. 29 conversation with royal biographer Tina Brown in New York City, Spencer argued that growing up within the monarchy may make its traditions easier to navigate. For people who marry into the institution, however, he believes the adjustment can be much more challenging.
Charles Spencer Says Royal Life Is Easier When You Grow Up in It
The 9th Earl Spencer was discussing the pressures Diana experienced after marrying then-Prince Charles in 1981 when Brown asked whether it was possible to live like an ordinary modern person within the monarchy.
“There are people who endure it,” Spencer replied, according to People. He added that some people find royal life “very difficult” and suggested those raised in the royal family have an advantage over people entering it through marriage.
“If you look at the wives of those who’ve married in, it’s tough,” he said. “It’s a way of thinking that is very specific.”
Spencer did not name Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton during that exchange. Both women married Diana’s sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, respectively. However, his observation was broader and centered on the experience of entering an institution with its own long-established expectations and traditions.
For Spencer, the subject is also deeply personal. His sister became Princess of Wales after marrying Charles and spent years under intense public scrutiny before their divorce was finalized in 1996.
Princess Diana’s Brother Has Spoken About Royal Scrutiny Before
Charles Spencer’s latest royal family remarks follow other recent comments in which he connected Diana’s experiences with pressures facing members of the monarchy today.
During a September interview with the BBC, Spencer specifically addressed Harry and Meghan and said aspects of their treatment by the media “echo” what Diana experienced. He described some tabloid coverage as “really, really unpleasant” and argued that lessons should be learned from what happened to his sister.
His concerns were particularly focused on security. Spencer said his perspective as an uncle was influenced by having witnessed the circumstances surrounding Diana’s death in Paris in August 1997.
The comments help provide additional context for his latest observation about women marrying into royalty. Spencer is not simply discussing royal traditions from a distance. He watched his sister enter the institution, become one of the world’s most recognizable women and experience relentless attention surrounding both her public and private life.
EntertainmentNow reported on Spencer’s decision to write extensively about Diana, with the earl explaining that he wanted to challenge what he considers long-standing “untruths” about his sister.
Charles Spencer Is Revisiting Diana’s Story Nearly 30 Years Later
Spencer’s remarks to Brown came while promoting “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” his memoir examining his relationship with Diana and the turbulent period surrounding her death.
The book has already generated debate because of Spencer’s recollections about the royal family, including claims involving his interactions with then-Prince Charles after Diana died. Buckingham Palace previously challenged one of those accounts, while Spencer has continued to stand by his version of events.
Yet his latest comments focus on a broader question that has followed several generations of royals: how different is life inside the monarchy for someone who joins it rather than grows up knowing its rules?
For Princess Diana’s brother, the distinction appears significant. Nearly three decades after losing his sister, Spencer says his view remains that understanding the royal family from birth and learning to live within it later are two very different experiences. And for women who marry into that world, the latter can be “tough.”
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Princess Diana’s Brother Reveals What Makes Marrying Into Royal Family ‘Tough’