Royal Family recap: Earl Spencer claims late Queen asked 'what is Diana up to now?' after hearing crash news

Royal Family recap: Earl Spencer claims late Queen asked 'what is Diana up to now?' after hearing crash news Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer has told the BBC he is 'telling the truth' in a bombshell interview about a phone call with King Charles in the days following his sister's death Princess Diana's brother has claimed the late Queen asked a 'tetchy' question when she first heard the news that Diana was in a crash, before the serious nature of the accident came to light. In the latest serialisation of his upcoming book, published in the Mail, Earl Spencer wrote: "When the Queen had heard the first news of Diana's being in a traffic accident, she had asked tetchily, 'What is she up to now?' This, before the seriousness of it all became clear." It comes as he has doubled down on his claims about King Charles after sparking a row with Buckingham Palace over his late sister Princess Diana's death. Speaking exclusively to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg at his Althorp estate in Northamptonshire, he was adamant as he said "I'm telling the truth." In extracts from his new book, Earl Spencer has claimed that Charles was ‘giddily elated’ when he heard of Diana’s death, as well as reportedly saying in the days after her passing that the world would ‘forget about her soon enough’. Buckingham Palace responded saying the King was "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss." But speaking for the first time since the fallout, Earl Spencer said: "I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said." Royal sources have hit back at astonishing claims made by Earl Spencer in his new book, calling the accusations ‘utter nonsense’. Princess Diana’s brother has penned a memoir about his late sister’s life and tragic death sparking a furious war of words with Buckingham Palace. It comes after Prince Harry ignored questions about the row during his first official engagement since moving back to the UK. This afternoon he made another public appearance by visiting a school in Birmingham to launch a new Invictus Games education programme. Key Events Earl Spencer accuses royals of allowing Prince Harry to 'spin out of control' after Princess Diana's death Princess Diana’s brother has claimed there was an “lack of obvious care” for Prince Harry at his mother’s funeral and that he was allowed to “spin out of control”. In a second extract from his controversial memoir, called Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Earl Spencer says on the day of his sister’s funeral, as they travelled to Althorp from London for Diana’s burial, he was ‘concerned’ about his nephew. He then alleges that the young prince, just 12 at the time and who walked behind his mother’s coffin with older brother Prince William “needed Diana’s hugs” but claims he was then “allowed to spin out of control”. The new extract, in the Daily Mail, comes as the Earl says he is "telling the truth" about claims the King said the royal family would “forget her soon enough" following her tragic death in 1997. Buckingham Palace issued a strongly worded rebuke just over an hour after Spencer's claims emerged in a newspaper serialisation of his new book on Thursday, saying the King was "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss". READ THE FULL STORY HERE. 'Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer has thrown down the gauntlet to King - how he responds will be telling' Does anyone seriously believe King Charles, a man whom countless people have described over the years as being seriously affected by Princess Diana’s death, regardless of their disaster of a marriage, would say such “monstrous” words? The pointed language used by Earl Spencer is so outlandish and hyperbolic that even the most committed Republicans would struggle to get on board. But this war of words, which is already spiralling wildly out of control, endangers the very fabric of the monarchy. And all in the week that Prince Harry has turned up to cosplay being a royal, with 48 hours of public engagements as he strives to rehabilitate his own image now he’s parked up in Britain once again. Forget the notion of “your truth” - ridiculously peddled by Oprah Winfrey following her interview with Harry and Meghan after their explosive exit from royal life - there is only one truth here. Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer has abandoned his self-imposed shackles from publicly talking about his sister’s experiences within the royal family - all in good time to publicise his book and cash in ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death. How convenient then that he has suddenly lifted the lid on private conversations with the then Prince Charles, where he allegedly “sounded giddily elated” upon the tragic news of the death of the mother of his children. Spencer knows the framing around it has the potential to inflict the most damage. READ THE FULL STORY HERE. Glimpses inside Diana's childhood home Earl Spencer hit out at King Charles and claimed he was telling the "truth" over the bombshell allegation the King said "we'll forget her soon enough" following the death of Princess Diana. During an exclusive interview with the BBC, images insdie and outside the ancestral property, in Northamptonshire, where the Earl and Princess Diana were raised. Earl Spencer suggests King Charles is 'embarrassed' over his book claims Earl Spencer has suggested Charles is "embarrassed" about comments the Earl claims the King made to him in the days after Diana's death. Asked about Buckingham Palace's response to his claims, Earl Spencer told the BBC:"Is he (Charles) furious, or is he embarrassed? Because I can tell you, here and now, those are exactly the words he said. "I've only ever had two calls on the line with Prince Charles at any stage of my life. "I was hyper-alert to what he was saying, and those are precisely the words he said, and I promise that to you now, genuinely, that is what he said. I don't hear him saying he didn't say that." Earl Spencer claims late-Queen reacted 'tetchily' to news of Diana's crash Diana's brother claimed the late Queen reacted "tetchily" to the news of Diana's car crash, until the seriousness of what happened became clear. In the latest extract from Earl Spencer's soon-to-be released memoir, published by the Daily Mail, he wrote: "When the Queen had heard the first news of Diana's being in a traffic accident, she had asked tetchily, 'What is she up to now?' This, before the seriousness of it all became clear." He also claimed Queen Elizabeth offered to have Diana's HRH title reinstated after her death but the brother claimed he refused. Diana's HRH title was removed following her divorce with the then-Prince Charles. 'Harry was allowed to spin out of control', Earl says in new hit to royals Earl Spencer claimed there was a "lack of obvious care for Harry" on the train ride from London to Althorp House, where Diana would be buried. In another serialisation of the Earl's book, set to be released next week, he made more allegations against the royals. The excerpt was published in the Daily Mail. On that train ride after Diana's funeral, he wrote: "My chief memory of that train journey is of being concerned at the lack of obvious care for Harry, as he decompressed from the ghastliness of the morning. "He needed Diana's hugs, of course, and they would forever be denied him. But instead of calm and nurture, he was allowed to spin out of control." Earl Spencer hits back at Palace and claims King Charles went 'ballistic' in row after Diana's death Princess Diana's brother says he is "telling the truth" about claims King Charles said the royal family would “forget her soon enough" following her tragic death in 1997. Earl Spencer accused the then-then Prince Charles of launching into a furious tirade against him in a phone call in the days after the princess was killed. The Earl said he told the King how he strongly disagreed with the decision made by the royals to have princes William and Harry - aged just 15 and 12 - walk behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession. Buckingham Palace issused a strongly worded rebuke just over an hour after Spencer’s claims emerged in a newspaper serialisation of his new book on Thursday, saying the King was "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss". "I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said," the Earl said, speaking to the BBC today. Pressed on whether he disagreed with Buckingham Palace disputing his version of events, Spencer hit back saying they had not issued a formal denial of the phone call alleged to have taken place. “They've sort of smudged that one, haven't they? They've said that recollections may vary," he said. The late Queen Elizabeth II issued a now famous statement, including the line “recollections may vary”, in the aftermath of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s claims following their exit from the monarchy, that unnamed members of the family “had concerns” over the colour of their unborn son Archie’s skin colour. READ THE FULL STORY HERE. 'Prince Phillip overruled Charles before Diana's funeral', Earl Spencer says in fresh claim Earl Spencer alleged that Prince Phillip took control over part of Princess Diana's funeral procession, in his soon-to-be released book. Diana's brother claimed Charles "tried to take charge" over the order of who would stand behind the late-Princesses coffin. He claimed King Charles said he will walk in the centre with Prince William and Prince Harry either side but Prince Philip "overruled him". Earl Spencer, in another excerpt of his book published by the Daily Mail, alleged that Prince Phillip said: "No, that isn't how we will do it." The book said: "Then, nodding towards me, he continued: 'Charles is representing his sister and their family, so he will walk in the middle, with William and Harry either side of him, and you and I will be on the outside flanks.'" At Diana's funeral, her brother was in the centre of the procession with Prince Harry and the then-Prince Charles to his right. Prince William and Prince Phillip were to the Earl's left. Buckingham Palace has rejected earlier claims made by the Earl. 'I'm telling the truth', Earl Spencer maintains Earl Spencer has insisted he is "telling the truth" about his conversation with the King after Diana's death, describing Charles's alleged comments as "monstrous". Asked whether he has "evidence" of the King's comments, the Earl said: "I told friends and family straight away, close friends and family, about what had been said, because it was so monstrous." When asked which Charles the public were meant to believe, Charles Spencer said: "Well, I'm telling the truth." Royal sources call Earl Spencer's claims 'utter nonsense' Earl Spencer's explosive claims concerning King Charles's reactions to Princess Diana's tragic death are "utter nonsense", according to royal sources. Well-placed palace insiders reacted with dismay that Diana's brother has chosen to use the monarch as "a punching bag" to publicise his tell-all memoir on his sister's life. Buckingham Palace issued a statement, on the Earl's claim King Charles said "we'll forget her soon enough", which said: "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss." One source, who worked for the royal family for a decade said: "(The allegations) couldn't be further from the truth of a man (King Charles) who was deeply affected by Diana's death." The source added: "To claim anything other than he was overwhelmingly concerned for the wellbeing of his sons’ futures, without their mother, is simply contumelious." Another former close aide to the King, who worked alongside him as Prince of Wales, said he didn't recognise "the way the King is being characterized in those remarks". In the second part of his book serialisation in a national newspaper, Spencer claimed Charles was "giddily elated" in the immediate aftermath of Diana’s death and sounded "like a lottery winner" when he spoke to him in the hours after the 1997 tragedy. Buckingham Palace refused to comment on the latest dramatic allegations, but a source close to the King said: "The palace's original statement speaks for itself." 'Charles went ballistic during call', Diana's brother claims Earl Spencer claimed to the BBC that the now-King "went ballistic" and "ranted for a while" during a call after Diana's death. Diana's brother also alleged that the King "started really going for my family as a whole about their sense of duty not being adequet enough and ranted for a while". Earl Spencer added: "And then he stopped and I thought, oh now, now he's gonna pull himself together and say something more appropriate. And then, he said, 'we'll forget her soon enough'." The brother added: "I just, after a stunned silence, I said, I cannot believe you just said that. And I hung up on him." Earl Spencer doubles down on claim King Charles said 'we'll forget' Diana 'soon enough' Princess Diana's brother has stood firm on his claims that the then-Prince Charles said "we'll forget her soon enough" during a phone call after Diana's death. Earl Spencer has made this claim in his explosive memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which is due to be published on Tuesday. An excerpt of the book, published by the Daily Mail, saw Earl Spencer claim the phone call happened after he insisted Diana would not have wanted Prince William and Prince Harry to walk in the procession at her funeral. Buckingham Palace, in response to Earl Spencer's claims, said the King was "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason". In an interview with the BBC, Diana's brother said: "I can tell you here and now those are exactly the words he said." Prince William hails Earthshot finalist using AI to identify wildfires The Prince of Wales has hailed the "amazing" Earthshot Prize finalist using AI to identify wildfires before they take hold as the list of potential winners was released. William said "we've all got a part to play in how we look after the planet" in a video promoting the 15 finalists ahead of Mumbai hosting the environmental awards aimed at finding, celebrating and scaling up ideas to repair the environment. In a separate BBC interview, the prince said about the pace of change: "We're not moving fast enough. We need more businesses, investors and leaders to step up, back what works and help bring these solutions to scale." Wildfires have raged across the globe during a summer which has brought searing temperatures to regions and the prince described the work of Satellites on Fire pinpointing the blazes as "fantastic". Speaking in a video chat with Bollywood director and filmmaker Karan Johar, who will host the awards in Mumbai, the prince said about the young men behind Satellites on Fire: "These guys are absolutely brilliant. Genius young guys who set up the organisation to use satellites to be able to predict and warn early communities that might face wildfires. "I think when they were 16 they saw major forest fires and wildfires in their communities. If you look back even 20, 30 years ago certain parts of the world had the odd wildfire happening, they were sort of fairly common. Now you’re getting wildfires in parts of the world which should not really be having wildfires." The Duke of Sussex chats with students in Birmingham Harry has been speaking with students who are learning about design and performance around adaptive prosthetics during his visit to Ninestiles School, Birmingham. At the school, Harry launched the INSPIRE: Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 education programme. Harry shows off his pickleball skills in Birmingham Earl Spencer's explosive book claims - from 'giddy Charles after Diana's death' to William and Harry row Earl Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, has penned an explosive memoir which has levelled serious accusations against King Charles and the Royal Family. In the first two excerpts of the book, the earl claimed Charles seemed ‘giddily elated’ upon hearing the news of Diana’s death, and during discussions of her funeral arrangements, said that the world will ‘forget her soon enough’. Earl Spencer has made a series of explosive claims explosive claims in the book titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which is set for release next week. Extracts, serialised in the Daily Mail, include him taking aim at the King, and how the Palace managed following the death of Princess Diana in 1997. Duke of Sussex shakes hands with school kids as he launches Invictus initiative Childhood saviours to bitter rows - the truth about Diana and her brother A new chapter in the decades-long feud between the Spencer family and the Royal Family has erupted. Nearly 30 years after Princess Diana's death in August 1997, her younger brother, Earl Charles Spencer, has launched a blistering fresh assault on Buckingham Palace, reopening old wounds that clearly never healed. The rift originally exploded in Westminster Abbey in 1997, when the Earl delivered a sensational eulogy that sent shockwaves through the Monarchy. Speaking as Diana's "blood family," he vowed to protect young Princes William and Harry so they would not be "simply immersed by duty and tradition." Yet beneath that public display of solidarity lays a far more complicated reality - one marred by allegations of a fractured sibling relationship. Prince Harry in new public appearance Prince Harry has made his second public appearance in less than 24 hours by paying a visit to a school in Birmingham. The Duke of Sussex is at Ninestiles School, where he is launching a new INSPIRE: Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 education programme - just hours after attending the Spirit of Invictus Awards in London last night. Diana's 'revenge dress' goes on display A striking black dress worn by the late Princess Diana on the day her estranged husband publicly admitted adultery has gone on display at Sotheby's, London before going up for auction with a presale estimate of up to £220,000. The 'revenge dress', which went on public display Friday at Sotheby's in London, was worn by Diana on June 29, 1994, the broadcast date of an interview in which the then-Prince Charles acknowledged infidelity. Diana, who knew the revelation was coming, chose to wear the figure-hugging, off-the-shoulder silk dress by Greek designer Christina Stambolian for a gala at London's Serpentine Gallery. Royals get on with the job Thousands of miles away from the royal war of words, the Duchess of Edinburgh is carrying out official engagements in Zambia. She has been meeting patients during her visit to Mukuni Rural Health Centre in Livingstone to see Zambia's progress to eliminate trachoma, a painful and potentially blinding eye disease, as part of her tour. 'Make no mistake - nothing about Prince Harry's first week back on British soil happened by accident' The timing, the tuxedo, the medals, this was not a returning exile quietly slipping back into national life. It was a production, and one that Harry himself revealed last night that has been “many weeks, many months and years in the making”. Which all begs the question, how long has the Duke of Sussex, who cheerfully declared “it’s good to be back on British soil” really been planning his grand return. Sign up for Mirror+ to read the full story here Prince Harry's speech at the Invictus Spirit Awards in full “In 2008, flying home from Afghanistan, I travelled alongside three seriously injured British servicemen and the coffin of a Danish soldier. “That flight stayed with me because it helped me begin to understand two things about the military that would shape the rest of my life: it gives you purpose, identity, belonging, a team; and in a matter of seconds, injury or illness can take it all away. “Years later, after seeing the Warrior Games in America, we brought an idea back to London. We had less than a year to make it happen — which was probably useful, because it gave everyone less time to tell us it couldn’t be done. “In September 2014, more than 400 competitors from 13 nations came together for the first ever Invictus Games. Now 12 years later, thousands have benefited. We have 26 nations in our community, and the games are coming home! “And something happened that was bigger than sports competition. People who thought a part of their life was over began to see that something else might just be beginning. Their families, too, saw loved ones return to them in mind and spirit. “And to the veterans here tonight, and those wherever you are around the world, I want to say this as one soldier to another: your service matters. What you gave in uniform matters. And people far beyond the military community who see in your example what courage, resilience and leadership actually look like. “People are watching. The teammate who is struggling. The young soldier wondering what life after uniform might look like. The family trying to find its way forward. “You may no longer wear the uniform, but you still lead. Every time you get back up, reach back for someone else, or turn what happened to you into purpose for others, you are serving again — just differently. “And that matters far beyond our military community. National resilience isn’t built by governments alone. It is built in communities – by people who know how to endure, adapt, lead under pressure and look after one another when things get tough. “At a time when societies around the world are being tested, the Invictus spirit has something to teach all of us. This community doesn’t just demonstrate resilience. It helps build it. Never underestimate what your example gives to the world.” King Charles carries out engagement after latest Earl Spencer revelations The monarch has presented the King's Medal for Music to Sir James MacMillan at Dumfries House in Scotland today. Sir James was accompanied by his wife Lady MacMillan for the private presentation. Sir James is a Scottish classical composer and conductor, who is known for combining modern orchestral techniques with his Scottish heritage and Catholic faith. EXCLUSIVE: Earl Spencer's claims about King Charles dismissed as 'utter nonsense' Earl Spencer’s explosive claims concerning King Charles’s reactions to Princess Diana’s tragic death are “utter nonsense”, according to royal sources. Well-placed palace insiders reacted with dismay that Diana’s brother has chosen to use the monarch as “a punching bag” to publicise his tell-all memoir on his sister’s life, ahead of the 30th anniversary of her death next year. The Earl, who has rarely spoken of Diana’s experience as part of the royal family, this week claimed he engaged in a furious row with the then Prince Charles in the days after the princess’s death and told him: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough”. It sparked a stern rebuke from Buckingham Palace, which said in a statement: "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss." One source, who worked for the royal family for a decade said: “(The allegations) couldn't be further from the truth of a man (King Charles) who was deeply affected by Diana’s death.” The source added: “To claim anything other than he was overwhelmingly concerned for the wellbeing of his sons’ futures, without their mother, is simply contumelious.” Another former close aide to the King, who worked alongside him as Prince of Wales, said he didn’t recognize “the way the King is being characterized in those remarks”. Julian Payne, the monarch’s former communications secretary, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program this week that even years after Diana’s death, Charles told staffers that they must never criticize her and that her memory must be respected - a point he was “absolutely emphatic”. In the second part of his book serialisation in a national newspaper, Spencer claimed Charles was “giddily elated” in the immediate aftermath of Diana’s death and sounded “like a lottery winner” when he spoke to him in the hours after the 1997 tragedy. Buckingham Palace refused to comment on the latest dramatic allegations, but a source close to the King said: “The palace’s original statement speaks for itself.” Prince Harry reflects on 'incredible evening' at inaugural Invictus Award ceremony The Duke of Sussex made his first public appearance since moving back to the UK last night, as he gave an address at the Inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards which took place in the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Speaking to Hello! magazine, Harry spoke of his delight of the evening, which raised £1.7 million. He said: "It's meant everything. It’s been many weeks, many months and years in the making. So to have a room full of, what, 340 people, and Invictus competitors from all around the world and their families, from every time zone that the world has to offer… we did it. "We got to tell some incredible stories and celebrate some amazing heroes. So, yeah, I feel really, really happy that everyone came out and showed their support. It’s been an incredible evening." Prince Harry's 'eventful' two weeks At last night's event, Prince Harry gave his first interview since moving back to the UK. He told Hello! magazine: "The last two weeks have been… it’s been eventful. But, you know, we’re getting stuck into the work. Kids are in school. We’re happy. And as I said, it’s great to be back on British soil, and looking forward to Birmingham next year for the Invictus Games that’s coming up." Mirror readers debate if King Charles should have stayed quiet over Spencer's claims Buckingham Palace has responded after Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer claimed the King made a shocking remark following her death. In his upcoming memoir, Earl Spencer has levelled a series of accusations against King Charles, including alleging that Charles said the Royal Family 'would forget her soon enough' after Diana's death. But Buckingham Palace responded to the claims in a rare intervention. A Palace spokesman said: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.” Read the full story here, and take our poll to have your say Princess Kate exposes 'true self' in totally unexpected moment with Prince William Princess Kate was recently caught in an unexpected moment, and people thought it exposed a lot about her "true personality". This week, she was out and about with Prince William when she was captured on camera, and an interaction left many people making the same comment. A video was recently shared on Instagram by Kings Guard Tours, which showed William and Kate engaging with members of the public. In the clip, Princess Kate can be seen casually chatting to people, as William tries to kindly get her to hurry along. 'Diana’s wounds ripped open again – but William and Harry must not pay the price' Nearly 30 years after Princess Diana’s death, the wounds surrounding her tragic life and marriage are being torn open once again. Earl Spencer’s claims about King Charles are extraordinary and deeply damaging. He alleges the then-Prince sounded “giddily elated like a lottery winner” when telling him Diana had died. Buckingham Palace strongly disputes his account. Only those involved know exactly what was said in those dreadful days of grief and turmoil. Spencer is entitled to give his account of what happened to the sister he adored. But amid these painful revelations, he must spare a thought for nephews William and Harry.