Earl Spencer apologises to Piers Morgan over inaccurate Princess Diana book claim as legal action looms

Earl Spencer has issued a formal apology to Piers Morgan over an inaccurate claim in his explosive new book about Princess Diana, but the mea culpa has failed to stop the broadcaster from pursuing legal action.

Princess Diana’s brother apologised after incorrectly linking Morgan to the publication of controversial photographs of the princess exercising in a gym in 1993.

In Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Earl Spencer recalled a conversation with Morgan following Diana’s death in 1997, when newspaper editors were told they would not be invited to her funeral.

“The only one who sounded surly, as opposed to merely confused or embarrassed, was Piers Morgan of the Mirror, who snarled with annoyance before he hung up.

“I assumed Morgan must be feeling particular guilt because, four years earlier, he and his Sunday Mirror counterpart had published photographs taken with hidden cameras by a gym owner. They were of Diana working out in a leotard.”

However, Morgan was not editor of the Daily Mirror when the photographs were published.

They appeared in the Sunday Mirror in November 1993, almost two years before Morgan joined the Daily Mirror in October 1995. At the time, he was working for rival newspaper The Sun.

“As an historian, accuracy is important to Earl Spencer,” his spokesperson said.

“He therefore wishes to clarify that his assumption was incorrect. Earl Spencer apologises to Mr Morgan for this error.”

However, the apology did not extend to Earl Spencer’s description of Morgan’s reaction to being excluded from Diana’s funeral.