Diana’s brother says he is an ‘eyewitness to history’ in his memoir. But is he a reliable narrator?
Factual errors are only part of the reason critics are lashing his book as a cash grab. The true state of Earl Spencer’s relationship with his sister at the time of her death is another.
Charles Spencer’s latest memoir, Swan Song, has been released nearly three decades after the death of his sister, Diana. The book is filled with contempt for the British tabloid media and the royal family, and is dedicated to those who have lost a sibling. However, it is more about Spencer than Diana, with a litany of grievances against the royal family swamping the tribute he intended to write.
King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, is portrayed as a jealous, arrogant, and entitled individual who was giddy when he learned of Diana’s death. Spencer claims Charles told Diana he was happy to marry her but was not in love with her. He also alleges Charles disparaged the Spencer family’s sense of duty and reportedly told the Queen that Diana’s ears should be pinned back during surgery.
The memoir is a scathing critique of the royal family, with Spencer positioning himself as Diana’s defender and a fierce critic of the institution.
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