Earl Spencer has accused King Charles III of attempting psychological manipulation.. The conflict stems from claims regarding a conversation that allegedly occurred after Princess Diana's 1997 death.
"Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough"
The tension between the Spencer family and the British monarchy has long been a focal point of royal scrutiny , often echoing the public fractures seen in recent years. This latest clash, as reported by The Mail on Sunday, represents a significant escalation in the struggle to define Princess Diana's legacy.
Earl Spencer alleges that during a heated argument regarding whether Prince William and Prince Harry—then aged 15 and 12—should walk in their mother's funeral procession, the then-Prince Charles made a callous remark. According to the report, the King allegedly told Spencer, "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough." This moment, occurring in the immediate wake of the tragedy at the Chapel Royal, has become the centerpiece of a new battle over historical truth.
The Palace's "clouded reason" rebuttal
Buckingham Palace responded to these claims by suggesting that Earl Spencer's memory might be influenced by grief. The report notes that a Palace spokesman stated fraternal grief can "cloud reason, afect judgment and colour memory," effectively questioning the accuracy of the Earl's account.
Earl Spencer , 62, has characterized this official response as a form of psychological abuse known as gaslighting. He argued that the Palace's attempt to discredit his account was a "poor imitation" of the "recollections may vary" phrase used during the 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. By framing the Palace's defense in this way, Spencer is positioning himself as a victim of institutional manipulation.
A historian's defense against claims of profit-seeking
Denying that his memoir, Swan Song: Diana , My Sister, was written for financial gain, the Earl emphasized his professional background.. He stated that his primary responsibility as a historian is to provide an accurate account of his sister's life and to dismantle the myths that have surrounded her public existence.
Writing from his ancestral home of Althorp Hall, the Earl has pushed back against royal commentators who suggest he is merely cashing in on his late sister's memory. he maintains that his motivations are rooted in truth rather than money, claiming that Princess Diana herself would have supported the publication of his tribute.
The unverified 1997 argument over the funeral procession
One central question remains: can the veracity of the 1997 exchange be independently verified? While Earl Spencer claims he shared the details of the "monstrous" outburst with close friends and family immediately after it happened, the Palace has not provided a direct rebuttal to the specific quote attributed to the King.
Because the alleged comment was made during a private, high-stakes dispute decades ago, the truth of the matter rests on the conflicting testimonies of the Spencer family and the Royal Household. Without corroborating witnesses or contemporary recordings, the dispute remains a matter of competing memories.
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