Striking Parallels Between King Charles and Charles Spencer's Memories of Princess Diana
Years after her tragic death, both men have revealed the one emotion they still struggle to shake.
Princess Diana will always be remembered as the "People’s Princess," a title earned through her golden heart and compassionate actions. Yet, her life was undeniably complex, marked by profound personal pain and unresolved emotional struggles. Furthermore, many of those closest to her carry a heavy burden of regret. Today, two central figures from the late Princess’ life, King Charles and Charles Spencer, seem to share strikingly similar, lingering emotions as they confront their complicated and deeply troubled pasts with Diana.
Charles and the Earl have both opened up about deeply painful parts of their respective relationships with the late Princess of Wales. According to a recent report by HELLO!, the King had been heavily “plagued by guilt.” Ingrid Seward, a royal biographer and close friend of Diana, discussed the dynamics of the marriage between Diana and the then-Prince Charles while appearing on A Right Royal Podcast. She explained that “Charles did love his wife, but they were just not suited at the time.” Seward also believed that their marriage had genuine potential, suggesting that “if they'd met when they were older, they probably would have made it work.”
Beyond this, Seward, who is also the author of the new book, Catherine & Diana, talked about how guilt still seems to weigh heavily on the King. She noted, “He may not have loved her in the very beginning, and he may not have loved her by the end, but he felt so bad that he couldn't make the marriage work. He was plagued by guilt because he knew he was the one who should have made it work. But her intense jealousy and many, many other things… they were just not suited at the time.” Seward also added a personal recollection, sharing, “But Diana also said to me she thought if they'd met when they were older, they probably would have conquered the world.”
Princess Diana and Charles Spencer during their childhood. (Image Source: Instagram | @charles.earl.spencer)On the other hand, Spencer, who recently published his memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, opened up to PEOPLE about his own share of regrets and what he feels he could have done differently. “Could I have done more to help her with her public life? I probably could.” However, he added, “Towards the end of her life, I did help her a bit; I had had some run-ins with the media. I helped her win a big libel case against a British newspaper. I would fight some battles for her quietly.”
Spencer also explained that while people believe that he refused to give her a home after her divorce, that’s wrong. He explained how she asked for the Garden House at the back of the park, and he did go there with the police. However, they just couldn’t protect William and Harry there. So, it was not a viable option.
