Charles Spencer’s new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, has only been out for about a week, but it is already making plenty of headlines across the globe. Naturally, the explosive revelations and deep reflections on the life of the late Princess Diana have raised immediate questions about what members of the royal family thought about the publication—particularly Prince Harry. According to recent reports, the Duke of Sussex had just one specific concern before the memoir hit shelves.
In an interview published on September 22, Charles Spencer revealed that he spoke directly with Prince Harry about the memoir prior to its official release. According to the 62-year-old author, his 42-year-old nephew was entirely supportive of the project, noting that Harry was "completely fine about it." However, the Duke of Sussex did have a single request to make sure the personal boundaries of his family were respected. He explicitly hoped that there was "nothing embarrassing" about him included in the book.
Spencer recalled the conversation during his interview, explaining how he addressed Harry’s apprehension directly. "I said, ‘There isn’t,’" Charles remembered. "I think it’s natural that people so in the public eye are concerned how they will come across in the book. But I could reassure both of them that they’re, of course, in the book, but really as examples of two little boys who had the most exceptional mother, I’m not in any way compromising their privacy at all."
Spencer noted that he had informed both Prince Harry and Prince William about the memoir at the exact same time, ensuring transparency with his nephews regarding any references to their shared childhood and their mother, Princess Diana. Whether Harry still feels completely comfortable and "completely fine" now that the book is officially in the hands of the public, however, remains to be seen as readers and media outlets digest its contents.
While Prince Harry’s apprehensions appeared to be laid to rest prior to publication, Buckingham Palace clearly took issue with one particular, highly sensitive claim made within the pages of the memoir. In a notable departure from its usual practice of maintaining a strict silence on unauthorized books, royal biographies, and memoirs concerning family matters, the palace took the step of issuing a public statement to address a specific assertion.
According to reports detailing the contents of Swan Song, Spencer uses the book to recount the immediate aftermath of Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997, focusing specifically on the reaction of then-Prince Charles to the news and the subsequent planning of the historic funeral. Within the book, Spencer alleges that during a tense disagreement over Diana’s funeral arrangements, the future king made a remarkably cold remark to him, allegedly telling him, "Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough."
The inclusion of this alleged exchange prompted an immediate and pointed response from the royal establishment. Buckingham Palace issued a statement to address the claim directly, offering a psychological assessment of the author’s state of mind at the time rather than a direct point-by-point denial of the words themselves.
The palace told reporters, "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 color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss."
As Swan Song continues to circulate and dominate cultural and royal conversations, the fallout from its pages highlights the enduring, complex legacy of Princess Diana and the profound, lingering impact her death continues to have on her family, decades after the tragic events of that summer in Paris.
