# Charles sounded 'giddily elated' after Diana's death, claims Earl Spencer > Diana's brother alleges in a new memoir that King Charles seemed pleased about her death and wanted her sons to shield him from public anger at her funeral. - Title: Charles sounded 'giddily elated' after Diana's death, claims… - Summary: Diana's brother alleges in a new memoir that King Charles seemed pleased about her death and wanted her sons to shield him from public anger at her funeral… - Keywords: earl spencer, king charles iii, diana princess of wales, swan song memoir, buckingham palace, royal family, diana's death, prince william, prince harry, camilla parker bowles, news, world - Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/17/charles-giddily-elated-dianas-death-earl-spencer-book - Published: 2026-09-17T18:47:24+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: earl spencer, king charles iii, diana princess of wales, swan song memoir, buckingham palace, royal family, diana's death, prince william, prince harry, camilla parker bowles, news, world ## Spencer claims Charles sounded elated Earl Spencer says King Charles sounded 'giddily elated, like a lottery winner' when he called immediately after Diana's death. The claim appears in Spencer's upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. > giddily elated, like a lottery winner ## Palace denies Spencer's allegations Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying grief can 'cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory' even years after a loss, without directly addressing Spencer's specific claims. > pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory ## Spencer says palace feared public abuse Spencer claims Buckingham Palace wanted William, Harry, and himself to walk behind Diana's coffin because Charles was 'adamant' he would walk, and officials feared the public might shout abuse at him. ## Spencer alleges palace relief at death Spencer suggests some inside Buckingham Palace were 'relieved, indeed pleased' at Diana's death in a Paris car crash, suspecting Charles wanted to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. > relieved, indeed pleased ## Charles told Diana he wasn't in love According to Spencer, Diana confided that Charles told her days before their wedding he was 'very happy to marry her, but he was not actually in love with her' and his heart was elsewhere. > he was not actually in love with her ## Diana tried to break off engagement Spencer writes that Diana tried to cancel the wedding after finding a bracelet Charles bought for Camilla, but their father said it was impossible to pull out of such a commitment. ## Spencer links Charles to eating disorder Spencer believes Charles may have contributed to Diana's eating disorder, claiming he squeezed her waist before the wedding and said 'Oh, a bit chubby here, aren't we?' Her waist shrank from 29 inches to 23.5 inches. > Oh, a bit chubby here, aren't we? ## Spencer says Diana had ADHD and RSD Spencer writes that he believed Diana had ADHD and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, like himself. He also claims Diana drove to Beachy Head contemplating suicide but was stopped by her love for her sons. ## Diana told Spencer about divorce plans Spencer writes that Diana told him she planned to divorce Charles and said 'my husband is in love with his valet.' Spencer says he wrote the memoir to correct untruths told about his sister. > my husband is in love with his valet ## Harry hosts Invictus awards amid row As the memoir row overshadowed the royal family, Prince Harry made his first UK appearance since returning from the US, hosting the inaugural Invictus Spirit awards in London. Harry was aware of the book but not its contents. ## Key takeaway Earl Spencer's memoir makes explosive claims about Charles's reaction to Diana's death and his state of mind during their marriage, triggering a sharp palace denial.