Who is Earl Spencer? What Diana’s Brother Claims King Charles Said After Her Death | Today’s news
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer is now the center of renewed attention for his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The book is due out on September 22, 2026 and is described by its publisher as an intimate account of Diana’s life and death through her brother’s memories.
Who is Earl Spencer?
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, is the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales and the maternal uncle of Prince William and Prince Harry. Born on 20 May 1964, he grew up in Althorp, the Spencer family seat in Northamptonshire, alongside Diana and their two older sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.
Spencer inherited the family title in March 1992, following the death of his father, John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer. Before becoming Earl Spencer, he was known by the courtesy title of Viscount Althorp. He studied at Eton College before studying modern history at Magdalen College, Oxford.
His association with Diana has always been central to his public identity, but Spencer has built his own career. He spent a decade working for NBC News as a television reporter and correspondent before moving into writing and history broadcasting. His books focus largely on history, including the Spencer family, Althorp, and figures and events from Britain’s past.
His relationship with Diana
Spencer and Diana shared a childhood shaped by the Spencer family’s long history and later the breakdown of their parents’ marriage. His relationship with his sister became particularly visible after her death in 1997.
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At Diana’s funeral in Westminster Abbey, Spencer gave a eulogy that became one of the most memorable moments of the service. He spoke about his sister’s vulnerability and her relationship with the public, while also making a fitting reference to William and Harry and his hope that they won’t be overwhelmed by royal duty and tradition.
The speech established Spencer as an important voice in the story of Diana’s family and her relationship with the royal establishment.
His new book about Diana
The flashbacks look back at Diana’s childhood, her marriage to then-Prince Charles, motherhood, the intense media attention that surrounded her and the aftermath of her death in Paris in August 1997.
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Some of his most controversial passages concern the days immediately following Diana’s death and the arrangements for her funeral.
Spencer claims he objected to William and Harry, then 15 and 12, walking behind their mother’s coffin. He says he believed Diana would not want her young sons to be at the center of such a public and emotionally demanding procession. He also describes a tense phone conversation with then-Prince Charles over the matter.
Why is Charles Spencer making headlines now?
The memoir has drawn particular attention because Spencer claims conversations involving members of the royal family nearly three decades after Diana’s death.
Among the most controversial is his claim that Charles said “we’ll soon forget her”. Buckingham Palace dismissed the report and its response pointed to the possibility that grief can affect memory and judgement. Spencer still stood by her memories.
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The dispute has again put Spencer in a familiar position: Diana’s brother is speaking publicly about the events surrounding her life and death, while the royal family faces new scrutiny of the events of 1997.
For Spencer, however, Swan Song is presented as more than just a book about monarchy. His own account of the project focuses on preserving his memories of Diana and giving readers a picture of his sister outside of the public image that has persisted since her death.
