The Palace Fights Back: Inside the Battle Over Earl Spencer’s Explosive Diana Claims

EXCLUSIVE: Former Buckingham Palace spokesperson Dickie Arbiter lifts the lid on what Charles really thought after Diana's tragic death

CHARLES Spencer would always have known that his new memoir was going to ruffle feathers at Buckingham Palace.

In an unusually pointed response, a palace spokesperson said: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.” What Earl Spencer may not have expected is the sheer force and velocity of the pushback. Indeed, the Royal Family has always operated under a mantra of ‘never complain, never explain,’ so as to not fan any flames.

However, the brother of the late Princess Diana has arguably opened his own can of worms with the claims he has made in his new commercial undertaking. Unsurprisingly, when speaking to the BBC, he doubled down on the claims he made as he sought to vigorously defend his writing. Emotions are clearly running at an all-time high for those who found themselves close to the story. Indeed, when I quickly spoke to a friend of the late Princess of Wales, they said three simple words when describing the current storm: "Words fail me." However, they also expressed a sincere desire for all wounded parties to "find peace someday."

Those closer to the palace were more severe in their criticism, especially former Buckingham Palace Press Spokesperson Dickie Arbiter. He served under Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, from 1988 until 2000. With Diana’s death in 1997, he was working directly with the Royal Family, helping to co-ordinate the Palace’s response and - as he confirmed to me – was on the committee which planned the funeral of the late Princess Diana. Effectively, the aide had a front-row seat to the innermost workings of the Palace and the family during that crisis. In our extensive interview, I couldn't help but notice an almost apoplectic tone when it came to Earl Spencer.

The ‘Sensitive’ King

In the Daily Mail serialisation, one of the most explosive claims from Charles Spencer was that the King apparently commented, “rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough,” following a disagreement over funeral arrangements – specifically whether William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin. Spencer’s comments paint a striking picture of Charles’ response in the immediate aftermath of Diana’s death in August of 1997.

However, Dickie Arbiter claims this comment is not something the King would have said, nor would it be in his nature, as he remarked: “Charles has always been a sensitive man, ever since I can remember. Even as a young boy, he was a sensitive boy.” Dickie continued: “That statement about Charles's reaction to the death of Diana is absolute 100% nonsense. I worked for the man for five years. I was working close to him as his spokesman for five years, and it's not something he would ever say, let alone think.”

Charles III was ‘Devastated’ by Diana’s Death

In his new book, Earl Spencer claimed that the then-Prince Charles was ‘elated’ after hearing of his ex-wife’s accident, but according to Dickie Arbiter that was simply not the case.

Diana's sibling wrote: "Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences and offers of help, he sounded giddily elated - like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time." But Arbiter directly disputed Spencer’s claims, saying that he was seeking 'cheap publicity' and that Charles was actually left completely ‘devastated’ in the wake of Diana’s tragic death. “He was devastated, he was shocked,” Arbiter exclusively told the Royal Observer. “This became very apparent after they'd attended the service at Crathie Kirk on the Sunday before he flew off to Paris. When he was looking at the floor of tributes, holding Harry's hand, he was absolutely devastated."

Arbiter emphasised that body language was indicative of then-Prince Charles’ true emotions during that period, saying: "His body language said everything." The veteran broadcaster stated: “Then I saw him in person when he arrived back from Paris at RAF Northolt again; his body language said it all, and his face was so drawn. And you cannot put on an act like that.” He continued: “And then again, we saw him at Kensington Gardens two days before the funeral with both William and Harry. Again, he looked drawn. He looked haggard. He looked very sad.” Adding: “So to allege that Charles said what he said ... it is really a means of dragging up publicity, cheap publicity, to sell a book.” 

Charles and Diana were ‘friendly’ after their divorce

In his new book, On Duty with the Royals, Dickie Arbiter claimed that Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s relationship significantly improved after they finalised their divorce. Speaking about the state of the relationship in the year before Diana’s death, Arbiter told the Royal Observer: “When I think of the relationship that Prince Charles had with Diana after the divorce, it was a lot better than it had ever been before … He used to drop into Kensington Palace for tea on his way back to Highgrove; he would phone her.”

Arbiter also claimed that Charles even keeps mementoes of Diana at his private home of Highgrove nearly three decades after she died. “He still has artefacts at Highgrove even today of their marriage photographs,” Arbiter claimed. “So the relationship was pretty good, and alleging that he [Prince Charles] said what he did say is just absolute nonsense.”

Earl Spencer’s own track record

What Charles Spencer might not have counted upon is how his own track record would have come back to bite.

Indeed, his new memoir has also brought renewed attention to several comments he made in the short years after her death. In a now resurfaced interview, Charles Spencer hit out at those ‘profiting’ from his sister after her death. Speaking to Sally Magnusson in the 1998 TV special titled Diana: My Sister, the Princess, he clearly lambasted those seeking to make money from his sister’s memory. He sternly remarked: “Can you imagine anybody making a profit out of their brother or sister's death? It's so low; it's inconceivable.” He continued: “I don't know anyone who would, but because the press can present Diana as a public figure rather than as my sister, they can make it sort of a possible accusation. Whereas, of course, it's completely out of the question.” Adding: “I will never profit from Diana's death.”

Now, Arbiter pointed out the memoir leaves Spencer open to the very criticism he levelled at others, as reports suggest he could earn millions from the new book. “How come he dredges up what he does dredge up, 29 years after Diana's death?” he asked me. “You have to ask yourself: the man [appears as though he’s] is on cloud nine. He just wants to sell a book. He's the one who's criticised people for writing about Diana, monetising Diana, and he's doing just that.” Dickie added to the Royal Observer: “It's publicity, and it's selling the book, but it's selling the book at somebody else's expense.”

Earl Spencer also appeared on CNN to be interviewed by Larry King, where he also stated that King Charles seemed to be perfectly pleasant around the time of her funeral. Speaking about his relationship with Charles III, Spencer stated on the record: “He was, you know, he was perfectly polite all day. We all caught the train from London together to go to the burial in my family home, and nothing nasty has ever been said about it by him to me.” Dickie Arbiter couldn’t help but take note of this exchange, as he further added: “After the service at Westminster Abbey and Spencer's tirade, [Prince] Charles travelled on the train with him to Althorp for the interment … he was very polite, and he was very kind.”