Earl Charles Spencer has detailed three instances of physical violence involving his late sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, in his upcoming memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, set for release on September 22, according to an interview with People. The revelations form part of a broader look at the late princess’s life, marriage, and 1997 death, touching on potential undiagnosed ADHD and family friction.
Memoir Details Three Incidents of Physical Outbursts
According to the memoir and accompanying interviews, Earl Spencer witnessed Diana lash out physically on three separate occasions during their lives, describing the actions as moments of extreme frustration. The first incident occurred in 1976 when their father announced his upcoming marriage to Raine Spencer, prompting a young Diana to slap her father. A second incident involved Diana pushing her brother off a bicycle “for no reason,” while a third took place during preparations for his first wedding in 1989.
The 1989 confrontation culminated in Diana pushing her stepmother, Raine Spencer, down the stairs. According to People, the altercation happened after Diana believed their mother had been treated rudely by being placed in a separate room during a family wedding rehearsal. “I’m not saying it’s a good thing in any way to be physically violent, but it was the buildup of an enormous amount of really strong feeling and a flashpoint where I think she thought she was standing up for my mother,” Earl Spencer told People.
Allegations Regarding the Royal Family and Funeral Proceedings
The book also addresses the aftermath of Diana’s fatal car crash in 1997. In an excerpt published by the Daily Mail, Earl Spencer describes a phone call with then-Prince Charles on the morning of his sister’s death. He writes that the current monarch sounded “giddily elated – like a lottery winner,” suggesting the prince’s reaction stemmed from the realization that the event might free him to marry the woman he loved, rather than focusing on the loss.
Additionally, the memoir addresses a verbal altercation between Earl Spencer and Prince Charles regarding the decision to have Princes William and Harry—then aged 15 and 12—walk in their mother’s public funeral procession. The newly revealed accounts offer an insider perspective on family tensions surrounding the legacy of the Princess of Wales.