"Where Africa Comes to Stay Informed."
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"Where Africa Comes to Stay Informed."
Buckingham Palace has firmly rejected an allegation attributed to King Charles III concerning Diana, Princess of Wales, following her death in 1997. The claim was made by Diana’s younger brother, Earl Spencer, in his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
According to Earl Spencer, Charles made the remark during an emotional telephone conversation in the aftermath of Diana’s death. Spencer claims that, after a heated discussion concerning the role of Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, during their mother’s funeral, Charles told him: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
Buckingham Palace has disputed the account without explicitly describing Spencer’s recollection as false. In a statement, the Palace suggested that intense grief can affect how events are remembered, saying that the anguish surrounding such a loss can influence judgment and memory even many years later.
The wording immediately drew comparisons with Queen Elizabeth II’s response in 2021 to disputed accounts surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. At the time, the late Queen famously observed that “recollections may vary,” a phrase that became widely associated with disagreements over competing versions of events within the Royal Family.
The disagreement centers on events following Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris in August 1997. Her funeral attracted enormous public attention, with millions of people around the world watching the procession.
In an account published by the Daily Mail, Earl Spencer recalled receiving what he described as a “stream of anger” from Charles after voicing his concerns about William and Harry, who were teenagers at the time, walking behind their mother’s coffin.
Spencer has portrayed Charles’s reaction as reflecting what he believed was long-standing resentment toward Diana, as well as shock at the extraordinary public response to her death.
Charles’s former communications secretary, Julian Payne, also rejected the alleged wording. Payne said the reported remarks were “simply not language that I recognize,” while describing the Palace's decision to respond publicly as highly unusual.
Diana’s death represented one of the most painful and scrutinized moments in the modern history of the British monarchy. The extraordinary public grief that followed placed intense pressure on the Royal Family and generated questions about how senior members had responded to Diana’s death and the public's emotional reaction.
Earl Spencer’s speech at Diana’s funeral became one of the most memorable moments of the ceremony and contributed to his prominent role in discussions surrounding her legacy.
The dispute over Charles’s alleged comment comes as members of the Royal Family continue with a busy schedule of public engagements.
King Charles is also scheduled to engage with leaders from the artificial intelligence industry at Dumfries House in Ayrshire. Discussions are expected to focus on the rapid development of AI, its potential impact on society and the importance of ensuring that emerging technologies are developed and used responsibly.
The King is expected to meet representatives connected to major technology companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia and Google DeepMind, alongside AI minister Kanishka Narayan.
Meanwhile, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are scheduled to visit the Isle of Bute. During their visit, the couple are expected to participate in community and volunteering activities and learn more about projects focused on the island's environment.
While in Scotland, William and Catherine use the titles Duke and Duchess of Rothesay. Their program is expected to include a demonstration of the traditional Scottish sport of shinty, a visit to a community-owned pub and meetings with people involved in environmental initiatives.
Prince Harry is also preparing for a significant public appearance in the United Kingdom at the inaugural Invictus Awards ceremony. The event will recognize people connected with the Invictus Games and highlight their service, resilience and achievements.
It remains unclear whether Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will accompany Harry.
Harry and Meghan's presence in the UK has continued to attract media attention, particularly following correspondence from representatives of King Charles clarifying that the couple are not undertaking official royal engagements during their time in Britain.
The Sussexes are expected to pursue their activities as private individuals, while their movements and public appearances continue to receive considerable attention from the British and international press.
The latest developments come amid renewed public interest in the Royal Family, with differing recollections of events surrounding Diana’s death continuing to shape discussions about one of the monarchy’s most consequential periods.
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