We’re going to be talking about Charles Spencer’s Swan Song for a long time, and we’re going to talk about Spencer’s book promotion all week. There’s a lot to get through, and there are just so many headlines and significant stories, some about Princess Diana and some about King Charles and the state of the monarchy. The Earl Spencer also mentioned, in passing, that he held back some information and some stories about the king because they weren’t necessarily relevant at this time. Certainly sounds like an implied threat, something like “I haven’t even gone nuclear yet, I could say a lot more.” Speaking of, Spencer did mention one bonkers story in Swan Song about the death of his father, Johnny Spencer. When Johnny Spencer died, Charles Spencer became the new Earl Spencer just shy of 28. Diana and then-Prince Charles obviously attended Johnny Spencer’s funeral, and Charles Spencer now writes about what his brother-in-law said to him:
The future king stamped his foot and behaved like a ‘petulant child’ during an extraordinary conversation with Earl Spencer more than 30 years ago, Princess Diana’s brother claims. The earl claims that on the day of his father’s funeral in April 1992, a frustrated Prince Charles told him that he was ‘so lucky’ to be inheriting the vast Spencer estate while he was still in his twenties.
The then Prince of Wales allegedly complained that, in contrast, his parents, the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, were treating him ‘like a child’.
‘At this he stamped his foot in emphasis,’ Earl Spencer writes in his forthcoming memoir. ‘I have to say, very much like a child; and a petulant one, at that.’
The bizarre exchange took place after the death of John Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer. At that point Charles Spencer, then aged 27, inherited the family’s 13,000-acre estate at Althorp, Northamptonshire, as the 9th earl.
Charles Spencer, now 62, recalls how after his father’s funeral service at a church in Northamptonshire, he, along with Prince Charles and Princess Diana gathered ‘rather awkwardly’ in Althorp’s oak-panelled tapestry sitting room.
He writes: ‘I shared that I had found it so moving to see my father’s coffin being borne into the church by his six longest-serving male members of staff that I had started to cry. Then Prince Charles suddenly said: ‘You’re so lucky!’ I was unsure if I had heard him right. ‘I’m sorry, sir?’
‘You’re just so lucky – you know, inheriting when you’re so young!’ ‘
Earl Spencer claims that, ‘warming to his theme’, Prince Charles then added: ‘You’re inheriting this place in your twenties. And, I mean, I’m 43…and I employ 50 people… but my parents insist on treating me like – like a child!’
This is one story the current king can’t even deny, since he spent forty years as a petulant man-baby wanting the big job and the crown. Everyone knew that about King Charles too, even other royal houses. It’s even funnier to consider QEII’s thoughts on her heir – QEII, much like Diana, thought Charles would be a terrible king. That’s why QEII held onto the throne with both hands for as long as possible. And here’s the thing – I don’t honestly blame then-Prince Charles for having this thought, that his brother-in-law is “lucky” to inherit so young. It’s one thing to have that thought – it’s quite another to say that out loud just after Johnny Spencer’s funeral.
Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, recounted "a peculiar conversation" he shared with then-Prince Charles following his father's death. He recalled being told how lucky he was "to have inherited so young," after becoming the 9th Earl Spencer.
Watch more from their… pic.twitter.com/lmaRsDxxwL
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) September 19, 2026
If I were Charles Windsor, I’d sit my arse down, keep quiet and be grateful Charles Spencer didn’t disclose the many scandals he could have. 👀
“This is not a threat, it’s a fact. I know lots of things about the King which I chose not to include in the book because they were not… pic.twitter.com/G9kkjlhLSP
— Senior Lieutenant Zandi Sussex (@ZandiSussex) September 21, 2026
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit Canada Diana is wearing a Catherine Walker suit and a hat by Graham Smith at Kangol City Hall, Prince George, British Columbia,Image: 513287019, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: John Shelley Collection / Avalon
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- Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit Canada Diana is wearing a Catherine Walker suit and a hat by Graham Smith at Kangol City Hall, Prince George, British Columbia,Image: 513291383, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: John Shelley Collection / Avalon
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- Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit Canada. Edmonton Alberta Legislative Building,Image: 536837362, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: John Shelley Collection / Avalon
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- Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit Canada. Edmonton,Image: 536837435, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: John Shelley Collection / Avalon
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- Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit West Wales Barmouth Naming of a new lifeboat ‘RNLB Princess of Wales’ Diana’s coat dress is made of tan coloured checked wool with brown leather cuffs and collar and was designed by designer Arabella Pollen.,Image: 549312049, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no , Credit line: John Shelley Collection/Avalon
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- Crown Prince Charles and his wife Princess Diana drive to Prince Andrew’s and Sarah Ferguson’s wedding in an open carriage (23.07.1986). Where: London When: 23 Jul 1986 Credit: Jörg Schmitt/picture-alliance/Cover Images
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- Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, meets members of the Rock Choir as they announce they will be supporting The Diana Award for a special fundraising project, at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, as the charity celebrate their 25th anniversary. Featuring: Earl Spencer Where: Althorp, United Kingdom When: 20 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, meets members of the Rock Choir as they announce they will be supporting The Diana Award for a special fundraising project, at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, as the charity celebrate their 25th anniversary. Featuring: Earl Spencer Where: Althorp, United Kingdom When: 20 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, meets members of the Rock Choir as they announce they will be supporting The Diana Award for a special fundraising project, at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, as the charity celebrate their 25th anniversary. Featuring: Earl Spencer Where: Althorp, United Kingdom When: 20 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
I am living voraciously through these revelations! I can’t wait to see how the rota spin this one!
Same. And: I’m still waiting for the 400 pages Harry didn’t include in “Spare”!
Yeah, this was common knowledge to anyone who ever had even a thought about the RF. Charles is a rotten king and William will be worse, if only because he’ll live longer. That won’t matter, if the UK continues to want a monarchy. But, the swatch to disrespect can happen very quickly…
Switch, not swatch.
Is there anyone who actually thought that Charles would be a good king? Or even a perfectly adequate one? Everyone seemed to be like, “He will be such a disaster! He will bring down the monarchy!” Fingers crossed. 🤞
Why did Earl Charles start keeping receipts on Charles Windsor as early as 1992? Was it because he was close to Diana or was it because it was his duty as one of the highest ranking aristos to make sure he had leverage as needed with the BRF?
I think it was because he was a historian by nature (his degree was in history and he’s since published a number of history books), and also many aristos are diarists. He already knew that his sister had become part of history by marrying into that ghastly family, so I think would have recorded conversations and events that he thought might be significant. (Plus you’d definitely remember a remark like KC made about the old Earl’s death).
I’m looking forward to seeing what else he’s got on KC though.
My understanding is he is a historian, and for one knew that being connected to the royal family like that would mean that he was seeing history as it happened. I think Richard Kay referenced him also working as a journalist some?
I’d sure as shit write down someone coming to my dad’s funeral and telling me I’m lucky my dad died while I’m young. That deserves to go down for the ages.
I freaking love how Spencer is just hitting Charles from different angles, he doesn’t know where the next story is coming from because he’s been such an entitled prick for so long.
He’s a historian as others have pointed out and to add that given his family’s long history as the head of his branch its also part of his duty to record family history (from what I understand its quite common with aristocratic families).
I’m not an historian but someone telling me I was lucky my father died, on the day of his funeral, would sure as hell stick with me forever. Absolutely appalling.
It’s obviously true as that’s so tampon. I don’t look at sm but I know the bots are insane.
I hate this timeline
The complaint about his parents treating him like a child might have been valid (without getting into whether Charles acted like a child a good deal of the time), but to connect it with Charles Spencer being “so lucky” that his father died while he was still young…..it’s a gross sentiment and it’s also mistimed. You don’t say that when someone is mourning their father.
But the problem for Charles Windsor is that we all know he thought that and said that. It’s been clear for decades that he was dismayed at his parents longevity.
We all saw the smiles, happiness and pure delight that Charles Windsor, William, Camilla and Kate displayed after the death of the late Queen. It’s not hard to see Charles as completely giddy and gleeful when Diana dies. He was finally free of her and able to marry his whorse.
I can imagine Will saying those exact same words now!
Man. CRex is a terrible person. That’s all I got. Every revelation has you going man you suck. And now you can see how/why William turned out the way he did. They just babied these “heirs”.
There’s a reason that the most modern successful British monarchs have been second sons and a woman. The system shapes the male heirs into monsters of entitlement that is combined with what seems like an innate stupidity.
Even people who are inclined to be respectful and kind to Charles will admit that he resented being kept in limbo for so many years. Certainly he felt restless in his position. Is anyone really going to question that he said this? And I bet a lot of other aristos in their circle were thinking the same thing, honestly. They just didn’t say it, not to Charles Spencer’s face and certainly not at his father’s funeral. But behind closed doors? Yeah.
I mean, I’m sure the Spencer children grieved their father, but they were not at all sorry to see their stepmother go. They hated her. Charles made her leave Althorp more or less immediately. When Diana saw that she had packed in suitcases with a Spencer initial or crest on it, she made her take them out. She moved her clothes out in trash bags. Don’t let the door hit ‘ya. Then he undid her re-decorating, restoring the old woodwork she had covered with gold leaf, removing her wallpaper, etc. He’s a petty king.
Diana ultimately made up with her stepmother, and during the last few years of Diana’s life–after her father died, she and Raine got along.
Chuck is just a vortex of every rotten impulse most people have learned to control by the time they leave the toddler years. The Earl has stripped away the tolerant, affectionate filter Harry saw CRex through and what’s left is an evil green menace.
Eloquently stated, Puff Updater. Bravo!
“If i wanted to be salacious, I [have material there, too]…”
Hoo boy
Release the stories! I hope Charles goes out in a blaze of FAFO, pushing the Earl so hard, he releases all the stories. It would be a wonderful weekly article. Charles reading Charles for Filth.
A blaze of FAFO lol.
I’m often bummed that Harry and Charles Spencer hold back from being salacious.
I would also like to see the real dirt served. But they are smart to hold something in reserve.
I’m LOVING ALLLLLLLLLLL of this.
This just shows KC’s very unattractive tendency to self-pity (which is well documented) and self-absorption (ditto). Incapable of understanding anyone’s feelings other than his own.
‘At this he stamped his foot in emphasis,’ Earl Spencer writes in his forthcoming memoir. ‘I have to say, very much like a child; and a petulant one, at that.’
LOLOL, Charles Spencer is the real king! He really does know how to tell a story. And you can just picture Charles stamping his foot, “very much like a child,” thinking only of his own situation, after telling a grieving son he’s so lucky his father was dead.
Charles has no empathy, no sense of how humans should act in these situations. It’s incredible, really, how off-putting he is. And William’s the same.
I’m beginning to wonder whether Charles Windsor isn’t on the spectrum.
Interesting that the snippets the Daily Mail has chosen to release are more about Prince Charles than Diana.
I must say that am quite ecstatic that this book has been written. That petulant man had gotten away with a lot 😄😄
Charles Windsor is just weird and his mind is warped by the institution.
I have a feeling these are the appetizers and a full course is coming!~
The complete and utter lack of empathy displayed by Charles in so many anecdotes is truly shocking. I wonder if he’s the type of person who sees all relationships as transactional and basically views other people as objects rather then people