What King Charles said in response to Charles Spencer’s claims about Princess Diana in his memoir

The Hindu – International

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September 17, 2026 e-Paper

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September 17, 2026 e-Paper

Published – September 17, 2026 10:20 am IST

Britain’s King Charles took the unusual step on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) of responding to criticism from the brother of his late first wife, Diana, with a spokesperson saying that grief could affect reason, judgement and memory.

Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, alleges in a memoir due to be published shortly that the then Prince Charles told him after her death, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough”, according to a report in the Daily Mail, which begins serialising the book on Thursday (September 17, 2026).

The claims, made in the forthcoming book, relate to the now monarch’s conduct in the days following Diana’s death in 1997.

Diana was killed at the age of 36 when the car carrying her and her companion, Dodi al-Fayed, crashed in Paris while speeding away from paparazzi photographers on motorcycles.

The reported remarks were made during a disagreement over whether Diana and Charles’s sons, Princes William and Harry, should walk behind her coffin during the funeral, an idea Spencer opposed, according to the report.

Diana married Charles in a lavish ceremony in 1981. However, the marriage turned sour and the couple divorced in 1996.

Asked about the report, a Buckingham 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.”

Ahead of the book’s release, Mr. Spencer said, “The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective. I want to speak on Diana’s behalf and do so in an openly positive way.”

Published – September 17, 2026 10:20 am IST

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Fonte: The Hindu – International