Wednesday evening’s British newscasts and talk shows were full of commentary about the Earl Spencer’s extraordinary revelation about King Charles. Charles Spencer writes in Swan Song, his memoir of his sister Princess Diana, that days after Diana’s 1997 death, he and then-Prince Charles got into a heated argument over whether Prince Harry and Prince William would walk behind their mother’s casket at the funeral. Charles Spencer writes: “Prince Charles continued his stream of anger, without me interrupting. Then he stopped. I assumed the pause signaled an effort to bring himself under control, but then he unleashed down the phone what I have always taken to be his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death. ‘Rest assured,’ he hissed, ‘we’ll forget her soon enough!’”
That passage – the first released through Charles Spencer’s serialization with the Daily Mail – caused immediate impact and global headlines. Buckingham Palace rushed out an ill-conceived statement, gaslighting Diana’s brother: “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.” Former BBC royal reporter Peter Hunt called out this statement for what it is, in no uncertain terms: “He’s clearly absolutely incandescent… there are times when silence is the right answer. He has boosted the sale of this book, and there are times when you don’t dignify [that]…. The content of [the palace’s statement] is royal gaslighting…”
“The content of it is royal gaslighting.”
“Lord Spencer could've also not press send or publish.”
Peter Hunt, the BBC's former Royal Correspondent, and Lord Finkelstein, Conservative Peer, react to Buckingham Palace's response to claims in Earl Spencer's new book that, days… pic.twitter.com/uubAeARwbK
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) September 16, 2026
Royal commentator Dick Fitzwilliams also spoke about the palace’s “extraordinary statement” and saying “There is no question that the King is absolutely furious.” LMAO. Imagine being a literal king and being so consumed with incandescent fury over someone simply talking about your asinine and offensive behavior.
‘It is an extraordinary statement, there is no question that the King is absolutely furious.’
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams analyses the Palace’s response to Lord Spencer’s claims regarding the King’s comments upon Princess Diana's death. pic.twitter.com/y1H7rGne8D
— GB News (@GBNEWS) September 16, 2026
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- King Charles III leaves Westminster Abbey after his Coronation, London, United Kingdom, on 06 May 2023.,Image: 774228682, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Dan Charity / Avalon
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- Protesters in Trafalgar Square ahead of the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, London. Picture date: Saturday May 6, 2023. Featuring: Protesters Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Anti-monarchy protesters demonstrate in London ahead of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday. Picture date: Saturday May 6, 2023. Featuring: Protesters Where: London, United Kingdom When: 05 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Anti-monarchy protesters demonstrate in London ahead of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday. Picture date: Saturday May 6, 2023. Featuring: Protesters Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- King Charles III wearing the St Edward’s Crown and Queen Camilla wearing the Queen Mary’s Crown during their coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, London. Featuring: Queen Camilla and King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales kisses his father King Charles III during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, London. Featuring: Prince Edward and King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- King Charles III during his coronation at Westminster Abbey, London. Featuring: King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, following the coronation. Picture date: Saturday May 6, 2023. Featuring: King Charles III, Queen Camilla Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The British Royal family make an appearence on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Coronation Featuring: King Charles III, Queen Camilla Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
The chickens are coming home to roost. LOL, Charles gets what he deserves.
Good. May it send him to his grave post-haste. Poor Diana only had 36 years.
If he had not treated diana so badly he’d have nothing to worry about.
Bit like Harry, if he and Meghan had been treated better they might still be working hard for the crown.
I mean, sometimes the news from Great Britain is just a giant Monty Python skit. All those asses making serious po-faced comments about The Royal Ass is just comedy gold. I wouldn’t want to be a fountain pen right now.
Or a wall mounted sink.
Another version of “recollections differ?”
And, like with Meghan, the most important thing I will point out is that AT NO POINT does the palace deny what the earl said. They just said “grief can cloud memories in ways others don’t recognize.” So if it ever comes out that he had, for example, recorded the conversation, the palace can say we didn’t deny it, it’s just that Chucky remebered it differently.
“There is no question that the King is absolutely furious.”
We have a saying in Australia: stiff sh*t.
American here. This mess made it on to CNN. You know it’s bad.
CNN will report anything to avoid reporting honestly about our own mess. The Brits have been stuck with the Windsors for a hundred years. We voted for our mess.
Ouch!
Not all of us voted for our mess. I didn’t. I for one am happy for CNN to dish on this particular gossip from the Salty Isles.
It often seems like half the commentary in British media is about some Windsor male being furious and incandescent with rage over something or other. Imagine being royal, even king, and the world is so horrible as far as you’re concerned that you have to pitch a fit every other day. It must suck being royal.
Absolute clown show. unseemly, shambolic and lacking any clear leadership. never complain what? This hideous, criminal family are getting hit after hit of consequence and I love it.
Jane, absolutely!
“Recollections may vary”, Charles edition.
I wonder which “royal reporter” is going to come out with a book for Charles and Camilla’s side?
Well, it would be hard to make “Gladys and Fred” look like anything other than the audulterous trailer trash Tampons they are, no matter how hard they gaslit their words.
Peter Hunt is so funny. Making sure to use the word incandescent. Indeed. A clear line between the king and his heir. But yes whatever happened to ever explain. It almost like that was never a real thing in the first place.
If onlly the combined incandescence of Charles and William could solve our energy crisis.
What these comments from Chuck have done is reinforce the belief that he was behind what happened to Princess Diana, but he was blindsided by the public reaction and devoted grief of those that admired her.. the only one that did not grieve Princess Diana’s death were Chuck and his mistress and some others in the firm..
Can’t wait for the Whoresilla chapters.