Nearly three decades after her tragic death, Princess Diana’s life continues to cast a long shadow over the British royal family, sparked anew by her younger brother Charles Spencer’s memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, published on September 22, 2026. The book presents intimate and often turbulent recollections from the sibling who delivered the celebrated eulogy at her 1997 funeral, immediately drawing a sharp public rebuke from Buckingham Palace regarding the accuracy of fraternal grief and memory.
Memoir Release and Buckingham Palace Response
Charles Spencer’s memoir hit shelves on September 22, 2026, nearly 30 years after Diana died at age 36 in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997. The release triggered an unusually swift and direct response from Buckingham Palace. In an official statement issued after excerpts emerged, the Palace cautioned that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment, and color memory many years after a loss. Spencer firmly rejected suggestions that his recollections are unreliable, maintaining publicly that he is telling the truth, according to reporting by The Guardian.
The Funeral Row and Alleged Phone Call
Among the most explosive allegations in the memoir is an account of a phone call between Spencer and the then-Prince Charles in the days leading up to Diana’s funeral. Spencer writes that he strongly objected to Princes William and Harry, then aged 15 and 12, walking behind their mother’s coffin, arguing that Diana would never have wanted her sons to endure such a public ordeal. According to Spencer, the conversation escalated until Charles became furious, criticized the Spencer family’s sense of duty, and allegedly stated, “We’ll forget her soon enough,” prompting Spencer to hang up in shock. While Spencer insists those were the exact words used and that he informed family members at the time, the Palace has not offered an alternative account of the call, pointing instead to the distorting effects of long-term grief.
Additional Revelations from Diana’s Life
The memoir details several other high-stakes moments across Diana’s life, from her 1981 marriage to her final years. Spencer recounts that prior to the wedding, Diana asked their father to let her call off the ceremony, a request her father refused, relying on what Diana had told a friend. The book also addresses Diana’s early struggles with suicidal thoughts during the marriage, the intense media scrutiny that broke down the union by the early 1990s, and their formal separation in December 1992, followed by her divorce in August 1996 where she lost the style of “Her Royal Highness.” Regarding the funeral procession itself, Spencer claims that the Queen offered to restore Diana’s title on the day of the funeral, an offer he says he declined as a “consolation prize,” and asserts that Prince Philip ultimately overruled Prince Charles regarding the boys’ place in the procession.
Key Chronology of Diana’s Life and Memoir
- July 1981: Diana, aged 20, marries Prince Charles.
- 1982 and 1984: Prince William and Prince Harry are born.
- December 1992: The couple announces their separation.
- August 1996: Their divorce is finalized, and Diana loses her HRH style.
- August 31, 1997: Diana dies in a car crash in Paris at age 36.
- September 1997: Her funeral takes place, featuring her brother’s eulogy and her sons walking behind the coffin.
- September 22, 2026: Charles Spencer publishes Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
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