Buckingham Palace has issued an unusually sharp rebuttal to claims made by Earl Spencer in his upcoming memoir, suggesting that the “pain of fraternal grief” may have distorted his memory of events following the death of Princess Diana.
The dispute centers on allegations within Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, scheduled for global release on September 22, 2026. In the book, Earl Spencer recounts a 1997 argument with the then-Prince of Wales regarding whether Prince William and Prince Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin. According to the memoir, King Charles responded to Spencer’s objections by stating, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
Buckingham Palace broke its customary silence on such publications to challenge the accuracy of the quote. In a statement, the Palace observed that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory,” effectively dismissing the Earl’s recollection of the exchange.
The public disagreement coincides with a significant day for the royal family’s current schedule. King Charles is currently in Scotland, where he is hosting a summit for world leaders to discuss the future of artificial intelligence. Simultaneously, Prince Harry is making his first major official appearance in London since relocating back to the United Kingdom from California in August 2026. The Duke of Sussex is attending the Invictus Spirit Gala, a milestone marking his return to a semi-official role within the country.
The timing of the memoir’s release, penned by Charles Spencer to mark the approach of the 30th anniversary of his sister’s death in 2027, has already drawn significant international attention. High security surrounding the text was highlighted earlier this week when four copies of the book were reportedly stolen from a transport truck in the Netherlands.
The 1997 funeral procession remains one of the most sensitive chapters in modern royal history. While Earl Spencer has long maintained that he was the only voice arguing against the young princes walking in the procession, the Palace’s new statement suggests a deep institutional disagreement over how those private conversations are being portrayed nearly three decades later.
While the King remains focused on the AI summit in Scotland, the “war of words” provides a stark backdrop to Prince Harry’s presence in London. The Duke has not commented on his uncle’s book, though his own memoir, Spare, previously touched upon the trauma of the funeral walk, corroborating the tension—if not the specific dialogue—surrounding the arrangements made after his mother’s death.
