A spokesperson for King Charles has taken the unusual step of issuing a statement to address an alleged excerpt from an upcoming book about Princess Diana.
This, however, is no run-of-the-mill royal biography, but a detailed tell-all from a pretty impeccable source: Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, who has been in a thorn in the side of the royal family ever since her tragic passing in 1997.
A Fraught Conversation
A few weeks back, the 9th Earl of Spencer announced the impending publication of “Swan Song: My Sister Diana,” which he promised would tell his sister’s story from his unique perspective as her brother.
Then came news that a few copies of the printed book were stolen while being shipped via truck, ahead of its September 22 publication date.
It appears that one of those purloined copies wound up in the hands of British tabloid the Daily Mail, which published a bombshell report in which Spencer recalls a heated phone converstation with then-Prince Charles, shortly after Diana’s death.
Per the Mail, Spencer describes that fraught conversation thusly: “I assumed the pause signaled an effort to bring himself under control, but then he unleashed down the phone what I have always taken to be his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death. ‘Rest assured,’ he hissed, ‘we’ll forget her soon enough!’”
Spencer recalled being “stunned” by Charles’ remarks. “I can’t believe you just said that,” Spencer told Charles before hanging up the phone.
A Rare Response
GettyWhen reached for comment by Page Six, a rep for Buckingham Palace declined to offer any, stating, “We don’t comment on books.”
That is not out of the ordinary, as Buckingham Palace has made it a habit of not commenting on scurrilous reports about the royal family.
However, a spokesperson for the king made the rare move of issuing a response, an apparent indication of just how seriously Charles is taking Spencer’s claims.
“His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss,” the spokesperson said in a statement to People.
‘Swan Song’
Getty“As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana’s behalf and do so in an openly positive way,” Spencer said in a statement about “Swan Song.”
“I hope this book will be of interest to the many who still cherish the memory of Diana when she was alive, and I would be delighted if those too young to remember her in her heyday feel — after reading this — that they ‘get’ who she really was: a one-off, dynamic character, full of love, charisma and self-doubt, who gave life a hell of a go, and left the world a far better place, despite exiting the stage while still so young,” he continued.
“This is a book I’ve been invited to write repeatedly, since the actual day of Diana’s funeral,” Spencer concludes. “Now is the time for me to finally put it down on the page.”
“Swan Song: My Sister Diana” is scheduled to arrive in bookstores September 22.
