Charles Spencer has accused King Charles of gaslighting him after Buckingham Palace challenged his account of a dispute involving Princess Diana’s funeral arrangements.
Spencer made the accusation after Buckingham Palace issued an unusually direct response to an excerpt from his upcoming memoir.
The statement addressed his account of a heated conversation with Charles following Diana’s death in 1997.
According to Spencer’s account, Charles told him Diana would “soon be forgotten” during a disagreement over funeral arrangements.
The palace did not directly dispute the alleged words but said the pain of fraternal grief can affect judgment and color memories many years after a loss.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Spencer described the response as an attempt to make him question his own recollection.
He also rejected suggestions that financial gain influenced his decision to publish the memoir, saying his responsibility as a historian was to tell the truth.
Other excerpts published by the Daily Mail contain Spencer’s recollections of conversations with Charles and accounts of Diana’s experiences during her marriage.
He also wrote about his conversation with Charles immediately after Diana’s death, describing the prince’s tone in terms that reflected his own interpretation of that moment.
The memoir also discusses Diana’s mental health and her account that difficulties in her marriage had emerged early on.
Buckingham Palace has not responded publicly to the additional allegations and declined further comment Sunday. Princes William and Harry have also made no public statement about their uncle’s memoir.
The BBC reported that Spencer separately discussed Harry and Meghan, saying their treatment by the British tabloid press had “echoes” of what happened to Diana.
Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is due to be released Tuesday.
