# Charles Spencer's explosive Diana memoir > The Princess of Wales's brother reveals shocking claims about her marriage, mental health, and final years in his new book. - Title: Charles Spencer's explosive Diana memoir · Vanity Fair - Summary: The Princess of Wales's brother reveals shocking claims about her marriage, mental health, and final years in his new book. Charles Spencer's memoir portrays… - Keywords: charles spencer, princess diana, swan song memoir, prince charles, royal family, buckingham palace, diana marriage, prince harry, raine spencer, althorp, royal controversy, Charles - Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/charles-spencer-princess-diana-memoir-takeaways - Author: Katie Nicholl - Published: 2026-09-22T23:12:52.266+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: charles spencer, princess diana, swan song memoir, prince charles, royal family, buckingham palace, diana marriage, prince harry, raine spencer, althorp, royal controversy ## Spencer's memoir breaks royal silence Charles Spencer's Swan Song is the most controversial royal book since Prince Harry's Spare. Buckingham Palace issued an extraordinary statement before its release, responding to Spencer's claim that Charles said they'd "forget her soon enough" after Diana's death. > Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough. ## Charles confessed he wasn't in love Shortly before their 1981 wedding, Prince Charles told Diana he was happy to marry her but wasn't actually in love with her. Diana was devastated and told their father she couldn't go through with the marriage. > he was very happy to marry her, but he was not actually in love with her ## Diana's heartbreaking wedding day Spencer recalls seeing Diana on her wedding morning looking exhausted and sad beneath her makeup and tiara. He didn't realize until later that she'd just learned Charles wasn't in love with her and believed his heart was elsewhere. ## Diana's shocking divorce revelation Over lunch, Diana told Spencer she and Charles were divorcing. When he expressed concern about public reaction, she revealed her husband was "in love with his valet," a claim Spencer never investigated further. > my husband is in love with his valet ## The title that was taken away After the divorce, Diana lost her HRH title, which hurt her enormously. Queen Elizabeth later offered to reinstate it posthumously, but Spencer declined, believing Diana would see it as a hollow consolation prize rather than meaningful restoration. ## Spencer's reasoning on the title Spencer believed Diana would view the posthumous HRH as pointless, saying "Diana's dead." He felt especially protective of his sister and thought the title should never have been removed during her life in the first place. > what's the point, Robert? Now? I mean, Diana's dead. ## Spencer's own mental health struggles Spencer writes that he contemplated suicide after brutal press attacks, experiencing what he now recognizes as Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. The emotional pain from criticism felt like grief, consuming him with shame and despair. ## Diana likely had ADHD, Spencer believes Spencer theorizes that Diana also suffered from Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria related to ADHD. Despite having health, beauty, fame and status, press attacks caused her extreme emotional pain that outsiders couldn't understand. ## Diana's darkest moments Spencer reveals that in her later years, Diana drove herself to Beachy Head, England's highest sea cliff, while contemplating ending her life. Only her love for her sons prevented her from going further. ## Harry's lack of care after Diana's death Spencer was concerned that 12-year-old Prince Harry wasn't properly supported by the Royal Family after Diana's funeral. Instead of calm and nurture on the train journey to Althorp, Harry seemed to spin out of control and very alone in his despair. ## The staircase confrontation At Althorp in 1989, Diana pushed her stepmother Raine down the main staircase after Raine insulted her and deliberately humiliated their mother Frances. Raine landed on her buttocks and left without comment. > I have always felt so very sorry for the Prince of Wales, marrying somebody quite as stupid as you. ## The incident's context The confrontation happened during Spencer's first wedding rehearsal at Althorp. Raine had deliberately separated Frances from the family gathering, prompting Diana's furious response to what she saw as a deliberate humiliation. ## Diana's fierce loyalty to family After pushing Raine down the stairs, Diana ensured their mother joined the rest of the party for tea. Their father said nothing about the incident then or later, leaving Diana to fill the void left by Raine's absence. ## A portrait of Diana's pain Spencer's memoir paints Diana as a woman trapped in a loveless marriage, struggling with mental health, and ultimately sustained only by her devotion to her sons. Her story is one of profound unhappiness masked by royal duty. ## Key takeaway Charles Spencer's memoir portrays Diana as deeply unhappy in her marriage, struggling with mental health issues, and ultimately sustained only by her love for her sons.