Buckingham Palace has pushed back against claims made in a new book that King Charles once said Princess Diana would soon be forgotten. The controversy stems from remarks attributed to him in the memoir written by Earl Spencer, who delivered an emotional speech at Diana's funeral. Spencer wrote that Charles showed contempt for Diana and was disturbed by the strength of the public reaction to her death. The book says the remarks came during a private phone call between the two men in the days after Diana died.
The argument concerned whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother's coffin during her funeral procession. Spencer opposed the idea. William was 15 and Harry was 12 at the time. Spencer says he believed Diana would not have wanted her sons placed in that position.
According to Spencer's account, Charles insisted that the boys should take part. Spencer alleges that during the heated telephone conversation Charles told him they would forget Diana soon enough. Buckingham Palace responded with an unusual statement after excerpts from the book became public. A palace spokesperson said Charles was mindful that grief can affect reason, judgment and memory.
The palace statement did not directly say that the alleged quotation was fabricated. Instead, it challenged Spencer's recollection of events nearly three decades ago. King Charles did not personally make a public statement about the claim.
The allegations appear in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The memoir is scheduled to be published on September 22. Penguin Random House says the book tells Diana's life story from the viewpoint of her younger brother. It also covers the week following her death in Paris in August 1997.
Spencer told CBS News that he felt a responsibility to present what he considers the true story of his sister. His account includes disagreements with royal officials over funeral arrangements and over the decision to have William and Harry join the procession behind Diana's coffin.
This latest development came as King Charles held a major meeting involving technology leaders from companies including OpenAI and Google DeepMind. The summit took place at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire on September 17. Representatives from Nvidia and Anthropic also attended.
King Charles was joined by AI minister Kanishka Narayan at the event, which focused on how artificial intelligence could affect society and future generations. The Royal Family said participants discussed whether shared principles could guide the future development and use of AI.
Charles told those attending that decisions being made during the rapid development of AI will shape the world inherited by future generations. He also called for innovation to be considered alongside the needs of people and the natural world.
The AI summit was unrelated to the dispute over Spencer's memoir. However, it was one of the King's first major public events after the new allegations received widespread coverage.
Diana died at age 36 following a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Her funeral was held at Westminster Abbey on September 6. Charles Spencer delivered the eulogy while William and Harry joined their father, grandfather Prince Philip and Spencer in the procession behind Diana's coffin.
Earl Spencer’s speech at Diana’s funeral remains a defining moment in British public life, one that continues to resonate with many people today.