LONDON | King Charles is facing renewed scrutiny over his relationship with the late Princess Diana and his family as a forthcoming memoir by Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, prompts an unusually strong response from Buckingham Palace, while Prince Harry’s return to Britain adds another layer to a closely watched week for the monarchy.
Spencer’s book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is due to be published on Sept. 22. In extracts reported ahead of its release, Spencer alleges that then-Prince Charles told him after Diana’s death in 1997, “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough,” during a disagreement over whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin at her funeral. The account has not been independently established.
Buckingham Palace issued a rare and pointed response, saying the King was mindful that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory.” The palace generally does not comment on books, making the statement notable.
The dispute recalls the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Diana’s funeral on Sept. 6, 1997, when William, then 15, and Harry, 12, walked behind their mother’s coffin through central London alongside their father, Prince Charles, their grandfather Prince Philip and Spencer. Diana had died at 36 after the car carrying her and Dodi Al-Fayed crashed in a Paris tunnel while being pursued by paparazzi.
Diana’s death followed a turbulent marriage to Charles. The couple married in 1981, separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. Her public popularity and the enormous outpouring of grief after her death became a defining moment for the modern British monarchy and influenced how the royal family subsequently approached public engagement.
At the same time, Prince Harry has returned to Britain for public and charitable engagements. Harry and his wife, Meghan, returned to the UK in late August after years based in the United States. Earlier this month, King Charles formally confirmed to senior British officials that the couple remain non-working royals and that their charitable activities are undertaken in a private capacity.
Harry’s return comes amid continuing attention to his relationship with the royal family. He and Meghan stepped down from official royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States, while Harry has subsequently spoken publicly about his experiences within the royal household and his concerns over security arrangements.
Another reminder of Diana’s enduring public legacy has emerged this month with the announcement that her famous black Christina Stambolian dress, worn in 1994 on the night Charles publicly acknowledged his infidelity, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on Dec. 9. The dress is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $300,000.
The convergence of Spencer’s revelations, Harry’s return and renewed attention to Diana’s legacy has placed the King’s family history back at the center of public discussion as Charles continues his reign. The competing accounts of events following Diana’s death, however, remain matters of personal recollection rather than independently established fact.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
