Spencer Memoir Revives Claims About Diana’s Death

Earl Spencer’s forthcoming memoir, *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, revisits Princess Diana’s death, her relationship with Martin Bashir and tensions within the royal family. Spencer alleges that Bashir used forged documents and manipulative claims to secure Diana’s 1995 BBC Panorama interview, and says King Charles told him after Diana’s 1997 death, “we’ll forget her soon enough”; he also describes an argument over whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin. Buckingham Palace has suggested that grief can affect memory, while a source close to Charles says the alleged remark was inconsistent with his conduct at the time; critics say the claims risk worsening family divisions. Broadcaster David Dimbleby said Diana’s popularity and unconventional approach were deeply resented within Buckingham Palace, and warned that disputes over royal recollections distract from wider questions about the monarchy’s wealth, privileges and relationship with the public. Spencer has also compared the media treatment of Harry and Meghan with the scrutiny Diana faced, arguing that lessons from her experience have not been learned.