# King Charles furious over Spencer's Diana memoir claims

> Charles Spencer's new book alleges the king said Diana would be forgotten soon after her death, prompting a rare palace rebuttal.
- Title: King Charles furious over Spencer's Diana memoir claims
- Summary: Charles Spencer's new book alleges the king said Diana would be forgotten soon after her death, prompting a rare palace rebuttal. King Charles is deeply…
- Keywords: king charles, charles spencer, princess diana, memoir, swan song, buckingham palace, royal family, 1997, diana death, palace rebuttal, King, Charles
- Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/king-charles-charles-spencer-princess-diana
- Author: Katie Nicholl
- Published: 2026-09-18T15:13:20.105+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: king charles, charles spencer, princess diana, memoir, swan song, buckingham palace, royal family, 1997, diana death, palace rebuttal
## Spencer claims Charles wanted Diana forgotten
In his new memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Charles Spencer alleges King Charles told him shortly after Diana's death in 1997 that "we'll forget her soon enough."

> Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough.
## Palace issues rare public denial
Buckingham Palace broke its usual silence on books to question the accuracy of Spencer's claims, suggesting grief can "cloud reason" and "colour memory."

> the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory
## King Charles described as "giddily elated"
Spencer also claims Charles sounded "like a lottery winner" the night Diana died, and that he later unleashed "pent-up contempt" for her during a phone call.

> He sounded giddily elated, like a lottery winner
## Dispute over Diana's funeral procession
Spencer claims he and Charles clashed over whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother's coffin, which Spencer found "barbaric."

> That's the problem with your family. They've got no bloody sense of duty.
## King Charles "deeply wounded and very angry"
A family friend told Vanity Fair that the king is "seething and appalled" that Spencer made these claims in a book where Charles had no right of reply.

> The king is seething and appalled that these claims have been made
## Former aide defends the king's character
Julian Payne, who managed Charles's communications from 2016 to 2021, says he doesn't recognize the characterization and recalls Charles being emphatic about respecting Diana's memory.

> It's just not language that I recognize.
## Royal insiders question Spencer's motives
Dickie Arbiter, who worked for Queen Elizabeth II when Diana died, says Charles never criticized Diana publicly despite her own harsh comments about him.

> It's not in his character, I have seen him angry, but I don't believe he would lash out like that
## Book copies stolen in Netherlands
Earlier this week, the Daily Mail reported that several copies of Spencer's memoir were allegedly stolen from a truck in the Netherlands, with Dutch police investigating.
## Key takeaway

King Charles is deeply angry about unverified claims in Spencer's memoir that he made callous comments about Princess Diana shortly after her death, and the palace has issued an unusual public denial.