King Charles Reacts Furiously to Diana’s Brother’s Claim That He Said ‘We’ll Forget Her Soon Enough’

Jane Barlow / via REUTERS King Charles has fired an astonishing clapback at his former brother-in-law, Charles Spencer, over claims made in a new book about Diana’s death in 1997.

An extraordinary statement issued by Buckingham Palace on Wednesday night came in response to Earl Spencer’s new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister , which is being serialized in the Daily Mail this week ahead of publication next Tuesday.

In the serialized extract, Diana’s brother claims that in the days after her death in August 1997, the then Prince of Wales told him in a furious phone call: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough!” The Palace’s response, in full, reads: “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.” Courtly phrasing notwithstanding, the message is brutally clear: the sovereign is calling the 9th Earl Spencer a crazy liar, albeit one whose “memory” has been “cloud(ed)” by “fraternal grief.” As the statement makes clear, the King’s office usually maintains a steely silence about books.

Indeed, when Harry published Spare , the Palace said nothing on the record.

The late Queen’s “recollections may vary” statement after Harry and Meghan were interviewed by Oprah was considered a veritable thunderclap at the time.

While this statement has echoes of that, it undoubtedly goes much further by seeking to undermine the credibility of the named individual making the claims.

One can quite understand why the palace felt they couldn’t let this one ride, although it is notable that in follow-up briefings to UK media, palace aides are aiming for a measured tone, with one aide telling The Telegraph that the alleged comment about Diana was “just not in his nature and it certainly wasn’t in his nature at that time, when he was a man absolutely grief-stricken,” adding that at the time, the then Prince of Wales was “paralyzed with grief” and defied protocol by insisting that Diana be afforded a full state-style ceremonial funeral, and that her coffin be draped in the royal standard as it returned from Paris to London.

Some recollections may vary here as well, as much commentary since then has concluded that it was Tony Blair who told the royals they should give Diana a state funeral.

Spencer alleges, according to the extract published on Wednesday, that the row began when one of the late Queen’s most senior aides told Spencer that William and Harry, then 15 and 12, would walk behind their mother’s coffin.

Spencer says he replied: “That’s not going to happen.” Minutes later, he claims, Charles rang him, insisting he had walked behind Lord Mountbatten’s coffin in 1979.