Earl Spencer memoir claims King Charles said Diana would be forgotten; Palace cites grief

Unbiased summary

In an excerpt from Earl Spencer's upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, serialized by the Daily Mail, he alleges that days after Princess Diana's death, King Charles (then Prince of Wales) told him during a heated argument over funeral arrangements, 'Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough.' The argument concerned whether Princes William and Harry, then 15 and 12, should walk in the procession, which Earl Spencer opposed. Buckingham Palace responded with a statement saying the King is mindful that fraternal grief can cloud reason and colour memory. The book is due for publication next week. The claims have not been independently verified, and the Palace has not commented on specifics.

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Coverage by outlet

The Guardian left

Angle Frames the claim as a damaging revelation about King Charles's character, emphasizing his alleged contempt for Diana.

Bias The Guardian focuses on the alleged quote and Charles's 'pent-up contempt,' portraying him negatively. It omits the Palace's nuanced response until later and does not question Spencer's memory. The tone suggests the claim is credible, and it highlights the book's criticism of the Royal Family without balancing with a defense.

Earl Spencer’s memoir claims Prince Charles said of Diana: ‘We’ll forget her soon enough’

BBC News centre-left

Angle Presents the story as a dispute between Earl Spencer and the Palace, with both sides given due weight, but notes the allegations are unverified.

Bias BBC News includes the Palace's full statement and explicitly notes that 'BBC News has not seen the book in full,' maintaining a neutral, cautious tone. It downplays the sensationalism by focusing on the context and the royal family's historical relationship with public sentiment. It avoids endorsing Spencer's version and highlights the potential difficulty for the monarchy.

'Grief can colour memory': Palace responds after Earl Spencer's claim in Diana book

i Paper centre

Angle Reports the dispute with a focus on the Palace's unprecedented public response, framing it as a 'rare and remarkable' statement and a fresh crisis for the King.

Bias The i Paper balances the claim and the Palace's response, but emphasizes the Palace's statement as 'casting doubt' on Spencer. It contextualizes the row within other royal troubles (Harry and Meghan, Andrew), suggesting broader implications. It stops short of endorsing either side, but the framing of 'crisis' and 'rare' statement adds a newsiness angle. It includes details like the Mountbatten comparison, which adds context.

Palace hits back at Earl Spencer book saying ‘pain can cloud reason’

Daily Mail right

Angle Sensationalizes the claim as a 'bombshell' and uses dramatic language to maximize impact, while also framing the Palace's response as 'extraordinary' and defensive.

Bias The Daily Mail uses emotive words like 'incendiary,' 'devastating memoir,' 'shockwaves,' and 'astonishing account.' It foregrounds the attack on Charles and the 'bombshell' nature, while also giving prominence to the Palace's rebuttal but framing it as a 'grief clouded reasoning' accusation. The outlet is the serializer, so it has a commercial interest in promoting the book's revelations. It omits any skepticism about Spencer's reliability.

Palace says 'grief can cloud reason' in extraordinary response to Earl Spencer's claim that Charles told him Diana would be 'forgotten' days after her death