Princess Diana’s younger brother, Charles Spencer, has made a series of claims about his late sister, King Charles III and Mohamed Al Fayed in his new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
The book, released on Tuesday, contains Spencer’s recollections of Diana’s private life, her relationship with the Royal Family and events surrounding her death in a Paris car crash in 1997. Among the allegations, Spencer claims Diana once told him that Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi was romantically involved with her before their deaths, had touched her inappropriately.
Spencer writes that Diana told him Al Fayed approached her during the early stages of her relationship with Dodi, placed a hand on her buttocks and made a suggestive remark. According to Spencer, Diana recounted the alleged incident with “revulsion” and said it affected her perception of Dodi’s father. The book also describes Diana’s concerns about her relationship with Charles before their 1981 wedding.
Spencer claims Diana attended a family gathering months before the ceremony hoping to spend time with her fiancé following his return from New York, but felt he showed little interest in her. “Diana had dreamt of spending the party at Windsor Castle at her fiancé’s side. But he had shown next to no interest in her,” Spencer writes.
He claims Diana later approached their father after what he described as an evening of “heartbreak” and said she could not marry Charles because she believed he did not love her. Spencer also reflects on Diana’s relationship with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, describing her as an exceptional mother who wanted them to become the “best versions of themselves.” “I have never, in my life, come across a better mother,” he writes.
He said Diana sought to provide her sons with values, emotional security and a perspective on life beyond the traditions of the monarchy. Spencer also makes claims about a telephone conversation with Charles in the days following Diana’s death. He alleges that Charles sounded unusually upbeat during the call, despite Diana having died only days earlier.
“Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences and offers of help, he sounded giddily elated – like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time,” Spencer writes. According to Spencer, Charles told him that he had informed William and Harry of their mother’s death at Balmoral.
Spencer said he later came to believe Charles may have been thinking about how Diana’s death could affect his future relationship with the woman he loved. That interpretation represents Spencer’s personal recollection and assessment of the conversation. The book also recounts an alleged exchange between Spencer and Charles following the death of Spencer’s father, John Spencer. Spencer recalls becoming emotional as his father’s coffin was carried into the church by six long-serving members of staff.
He claims Charles then told him, “You’re so lucky,” before referring to Spencer inheriting the family estate while still in his twenties. According to Spencer, Charles complained that despite being 43 and employing dozens of people, his parents continued to treat him “like a child.”
Spencer further alleges that Charles became visibly frustrated during the conversation and stamped his foot while making the complaint. The claims form part of a wider series of personal recollections in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister about Diana’s life and Spencer’s interactions with members of the Royal Family.
Buckingham Palace has disputed claims arising from the book, including Spencer’s account of Charles’ behaviour following Diana’s death. The allegations in the memoir are Spencer’s recollections and interpretations of events, and several of the private conversations he describes cannot be independently verifi