Earl Spencer Claims Harry Was Left to “Spin Out of Control” After Diana’s Death

Earl Spencer has claimed that Prince Harry was left without the care and support he needed after the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, arguing that a more nurturing presence could have helped the young prince through the devastating aftermath.

In his new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Diana’s brother looks back at the funeral and recalls his deep concern for Harry, who was just 12 when his mother died.

Spencer says the experience of watching his young nephew walk behind Diana’s coffin remains one of the most painful memories of that period.

Spencer recalls Harry during Diana’s funeral

Writing about the procession from St James’s Palace to Westminster Abbey, Spencer described Harry as visibly small and overwhelmed by what was happening around him.

He recalled thinking that Harry was “too small” to be facing such an ordeal and questioned how a heartbroken child could possibly cope with the emotional weight of the day.

Spencer also contrasted Harry’s appearance with that of his older brother William, who he said looked more reserved and reminded him strongly of Diana.

As the group walked behind the coffin, Spencer said he became anxious because he could not turn to check on Harry. He recalled taking the opportunity to reassure his nephew when the group briefly moved out of sight.

The family later travelled to Althorp, where Diana would be laid to rest. According to Spencer, Harry remained his main concern.

“He needed Diana’s hugs, of course, and they would forever be denied him,” he wrote.

“But instead of calm and nurture, he was allowed to spin out of control.”

Harry later spoke about the ordeal

Harry himself has spoken publicly about the experience.

In a 2017 interview, he said that having to walk behind his mother’s coffin while thousands of people watched in person and millions more followed on television was an experience no child should have been expected to endure.

He said at the time that he did not believe any child should be asked to go through something similar.

Spencer’s account now revisits that moment from the perspective of Diana’s brother, with his concerns focused particularly on how Harry coped in the years following his mother’s death.

Disagreement over who would walk behind Diana’s coffin

The memoir also contains Spencer’s account of a disagreement over the funeral procession itself.

According to Spencer, the then Prince Charles initially wanted to walk in the centre, with William on one side and Harry on the other.

Spencer claims Prince Philip intervened and proposed a different arrangement, with Charles walking between his two sons while Philip and Spencer took positions on the outside.

Spencer portrays Philip as calm and quietly determined to support his motherless grandsons during the difficult walk.

He contrasts this with his description of Charles and claims that the former couple’s bitter divorce, which had ended only a year before Diana’s death, made him question Charles’s role in the procession.

The account is Spencer’s recollection of events surrounding Diana’s funeral and has become part of the wider controversy surrounding his memoir.

Palace responds to Spencer’s claims

The memoir has prompted a rare response from Buckingham Palace.

A Royal spokesperson said the Palace does not normally comment on books, but added that the King is mindful that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”

That response followed Spencer’s separate claim that Charles told him, during a dispute over Diana’s funeral arrangements, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”

Spencer has stood by his recollection and said he told close friends and family about the alleged remark at the time.

The dispute has turned Swan Song into a major source of renewed discussion about the Royal Family’s handling of the aftermath of Diana’s death.

Harry appears in better spirits decades later

Amid the controversy surrounding his uncle’s memoir, Harry was seen taking part in a very different kind of event.

The Duke of Sussex visited Ninestiles Academy in Birmingham to mark the launch of the Invictus Games’ Inspire education programme.

He played pickleball with pupils from Years 7 and 11, joking about his back after reaching for a low shot and congratulating one of the children after they won a point.

During a question-and-answer session, Harry was asked who inspired him.

Rather than naming one individual, he pointed towards the Invictus competitors and highlighted the community of people who, in his words, get knocked down but continue to get back up.

His appearance came as fresh claims about the aftermath of Diana’s death were once again placing his childhood and relationship with the Royal Family under intense public scrutiny.