Charles Spencer Confirms Communication with Nephews Prince William and Prince Harry Following Release of Princess Diana Memoir

In a candid appearance on CBS Mornings with Gayle King, the 9th Earl Spencer revealed he has been in direct contact with both Prince William and Prince Harry following the recent publication of his commemorative memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.

The 62-year-old brother of the late Princess of Wales explained that he maintained strict secrecy throughout the writing process, notifying both nephews alongside his older sisters, Lady Sarah and Lady Jane, simultaneously just prior to the book’s public announcement:

“I decided not to have anyone involved in the book, so no one knew about it except my wife, obviously, and the publishers. I didn’t tell any of the family until just before it was released publicly… particularly with Harry, who people know I had to stay in the summer — that he was in any way involved in this. It was really important for me that they weren’t.”

Addressing questions regarding their reaction and approval, Spencer noted that he spoke with both William and Harry post-release. When Harry asked whether the pages contained anything embarrassing regarding himself, Spencer offered absolute reassurance:

“I’m very specific about people’s privacy… I think they were actually worried where I was going up to with the book. It pretty much ends in 1997 with Diana’s death, and there’s a tiny postscript by the grave. 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.”

The memoir also revisits the emotional controversy surrounding Diana’s 1997 funeral procession, with Spencer reiterating his enduring guilt over William (then 15) and Harry (then 12) walking behind their mother’s casket: “Obviously they shouldn’t have walked. Nobody now can possibly think that was the right thing to do.”

While Buckingham Palace responded with a measured statement noting that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory,” Spencer stood firmly by his text in a subsequent BBC interview, reaffirming his account as truthful and defining the 350-page work as an affectionate celebration Diana herself would have cherished.