Earl Spencer Rejects Claims of a Harry ‘Alliance’ as Explosive Diana Memoir Sparks Rare Palace Response

A bitter dispute surrounding Princess Diana’s memory has intensified after Earl Spencer stood by controversial claims about King Charles — while royal commentators separately alleged that Diana’s brother had aligned himself with Prince Harry against the monarch.

Charles Spencer’s forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, has reopened painful questions about the days following Diana’s death in Paris in August 1997. Among its most disputed passages is Spencer’s claim that the then-Prince Charles told him during a heated conversation: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” Spencer has publicly insisted that his recollection is accurate.

Buckingham Palace has pushed back unusually strongly. Rather than addressing every allegation individually, a Palace statement said the pain of grief can affect “reason,” “judgment” and “memory” even many years later. The intervention was notable because the Royal Household generally avoids responding directly to books about the family.

Claims of an ‘Alliance’ With Harry

Amid the fallout, royal author Tom Bower has alleged that Spencer formed an alliance with Prince Harry and Meghan in an effort to damage King Charles.

That interpretation remains Bower’s allegation rather than an established fact.

Harry reportedly knew his uncle was preparing a book, and the two had been in contact before publication. However, Spencer has since described himself as a neutral figure in the continuing tensions between Princes William and Harry, saying he supports both nephews.

Spencer has also rejected suggestions that financial motives explain the memoir, saying he wanted to record his own memories of Diana as the 30th anniversary of her death approaches. The book is scheduled for publication on September 22.

Spencer Stands by His Account

The most contentious dispute concerns Spencer’s recollection of conversations with Charles following Diana’s death.

Speaking publicly after the Palace response, Spencer maintained that he was “telling the truth” and insisted the disputed words were exactly what he remembered hearing. He described the alleged conversation as shocking and said he told close friends and relatives about it at the time.

The Palace has strongly challenged Spencer’s portrayal of Charles’s reaction to Diana’s death. Other accounts cited by royal commentators similarly dispute the suggestion that Charles was pleased by what had happened.

That leaves two sharply conflicting versions of an intensely private conversation almost three decades ago.

Diana’s Funeral Reopens an Old Wound

The memoir also revisits one of the defining images following Diana’s death: William and Harry walking behind their mother’s coffin.

Spencer says he objected to the young princes taking part in the procession and alleges that he clashed with Charles over the funeral arrangements. Harry was 12 and William 15 when their mother died.

The book contains additional claims about Diana’s marriage, her relationship with the Royal Family and events surrounding her death and funeral, ensuring that memories of one of the monarchy’s most difficult periods are again being publicly contested.

An Unusually Public Royal Dispute

What makes the controversy particularly striking is Buckingham Palace’s decision to respond.

The monarchy traditionally avoids prolonged exchanges over royal biographies, but the wording of its statement amounted to a direct challenge to Spencer’s recollection. Spencer, in turn, has refused to retreat from his account.

For now, claims that Spencer and Harry deliberately coordinated an effort against King Charles remain commentary rather than demonstrated fact. What is clear is that Swan Song: Diana, My Sister has revived a deeply personal disagreement over Diana’s final days — and this time, neither her brother nor the Palace has been willing to leave the competing accounts unanswered.