Charles Spencer Breaks Silence on Palace Statement, Doubles Down on Bombshell Claim
Earl Spencer recalled that he had only two calls with the monarch in entirety and emphasized that he accurately remembered the King's words.
The royal drama between Charles Spencer and Buckingham Palace has taken an unexpected turn. The new memoir, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, dedicated to the memory of the late Princess of Wales, has created a rift between the Windsors and the Spencers, with King Charles at its center. Spencer claimed that Charles allegedly dismissed Diana's existence during her funeral, saying, "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough!" The palace issued an immediate statement countering the book's allegations, deviating from standard protocol. Meanwhile, Spencer has defended his actions during an exclusive interview with the BBC amidst ongoing verbal conflicts.
In a first after the allegations hit the tabloids, Spencer has made it clear that he is not backing off from his claims. "I can tell you here, and now, those are exactly the words he said," the Earl told the British publication from his Althorp residence. "I'm telling the truth," he added.
Reacting to the Palace's rare statement, he further questioned Charles's feelings, asking whether he was furious or embarrassed. Additionally, he recalled having only two calls with the monarch in total and emphasized that he accurately remembered the King's words, asserting that he did not deny having said them. "I've only ever had two calls on the line with Prince Charles at any stage of my life. I was hyper alert to what he was saying, and those are precisely the words that he said, and I promise that to you now. Genuinely, that is what he said. I don't hear him saying he didn't say that."
When pressed for evidence, Earl Spencer mentioned informing family and friends due to its 'monstrous' nature. In response to the Palace questioning his account, he remarked on their attempt to downplay it, stating, "They've sort of smudged that one, haven't they?"
In excerpts from his book featured in the Daily Mail, he alleged that a phone call occurred after he asserted that Princess Diana would not have wanted her sons to participate in the procession. He also shared in a BBC interview that the King reacted furiously, expressing frustration at his family's perceived lack of duty.
The upcoming book, set for publication next week, has posed ongoing challenges for the royal family. In recent excerpts, he also claimed that Charles sounded "giddily elated," akin to a "lottery winner," during a phone call he received after the fatal car crash of Diana in Paris on August 31, 1997. Spencer recounted learning about the crash from a call from his sister Jane in Cape Town, followed by calls from others, including Charles, whose reaction he found notably different—more ecstatic than mournful. Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has not yet reacted to Spencer's fresh comments.