Earl Spencer accuses King of 'gaslighting' over palace response to memoir claims

Unbiased summary

Earl Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, has accused King Charles of 'gaslighting' him after Buckingham Palace responded to claims in Spencer's upcoming memoir, 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister'. The book alleges that Charles told Spencer 'we'll forget her soon enough' after Diana's death in 1997. The Palace statement said 'the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory'. Spencer called the response 'astonishingly provocative' and said the King was trying to imply he lied without denying the claim. The book also includes other allegations about Charles's behaviour around Diana's death. The memoir is serialised in the Daily Mail and Spencer gave interviews to the BBC and CBS.

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Coverage by outlet

The Mirror centre-left

Angle Sensationalises the conflict, framing Spencer as a victim of royal manipulation.

Bias Uses highly charged language like 'monstrous' and 'gaslit' without neutral qualification. Emphasises Spencer's emotional reaction and the 'unusual' palace response, while omitting any potential ambiguity about Spencer's recollections. The headline and framing side with Spencer, but the core facts are reported accurately.

Earl Spencer claims King is 'gaslighting' him as row over 'monstrous' comments continues

The Independent centre-left

Angle Presents the story as a developing 'bombshell' news narrative with additional context and previews of the book.

Bias Focuses on the 'bombshell' nature of the claims and lists the top five allegations, which amplifies the drama. While reporting the palace statement and Spencer's rebuttal, it does not critically assess the reliability of either side. Omitted any speculation about Spencer's motives or potential inaccuracies, but otherwise stays closer to factual reporting than the Mirror.

Royal family news live: Earl Spencer accuses King of ‘gaslighting’ him after palace’s response to explosive book claims

The top five bombshell claims from Earl Spencer’s book so far

BBC News centre-left

Angle Provides a concise, neutral news report focused on the core claim and response, with minimal commentary.

Bias Reports the facts without sensational language, quoting both Spencer and the palace statement directly. It omits the book's other allegations and Spencer's subsequent reactions beyond the gaslighting accusation. The tone is objective and restrained, with no clear bias, but it also does not provide deep analysis or context beyond the immediate story.

Watch: Earl Spencer says he is telling the truth about a phone call with Charles after Diana's death

Daily Mail right

Angle Promotes its exclusive serialisation of the book and amplifies the royal feud, with added commentary from royal observers.

Bias Heavily promotes its own exclusive access to the book, framing it as a 'searing memoir' and a 'war of words'. Includes additional opinion pieces and quotes from figures like David Dimbleby to reinforce the idea of ongoing palace resentment. Emphasises the 'unprecedented' and 'strongly worded' palace response but also gives space to Spencer's denials. The outlet's right-leaning editorialising is evident in its framing of the royals as under attack, though it does include some balance.

Earl Spencer accuses King Charles of 'gaslighting' him over suggestion his damning memoir is 'clouded by grief'

Diana 'still is deeply resented' in Buckingham Palace says David Dimbleby after Earl Spencer's bombshell King Charles revelations

RICHARD KAY: I spoke to Earl Spencer straight after Diana's death - what he said then about his row with Charles chimes with his damning memoir. From my many conversations with her, I believe she would have wanted him to write this book