Earl Spencer has revealed that his forthcoming memoir about Princess Diana and the aftermath of her death is his "most personal work by some distance," describing it as "a brother's tribute to an extraordinary sister." The book, titled Swan Song, is due for release on 22 September and comes as interest in Diana intensifies ahead of the 30th anniversary of her death, giving readers what is billed as an unprecedented account of the turbulent week that followed the fatal Paris car crash in August 1997.

Spencer, 62, shared photographs on X of himself holding a printed copy, and the book is expected to cover Diana's childhood, her troubled 15-year marriage, and the febrile atmosphere surrounding her funeral. It will be published worldwide in 12 languages. Spencer said he wanted to counter misconceptions about his sister and speak on her behalf, much as he did in his widely watched funeral eulogy at Westminster Abbey, broadcast to around 2.5 billion people. The article also references a past dispute, detailed in Prince Harry's memoir Spare, over Spencer's objection to William and Harry walking behind Diana's coffin in the funeral procession.