Earl Spencer criticises Princess Anne for ‘making me feel small’ with withering response to question about Zara Phillips before Diana’s wedding
Earl Spencer has alleged in his new memoir that Princess Anne made him feel small at a formal dinner at Buckingham Palace two days before Princess Diana's wedding in 1981. When the 17-year-old attempted to make conversation about Anne's daughter Zara Phillips's christening that day, he claims the Princess Royal responded witheringly with a cutting question, leaving him humiliated and unable to reply. The allegation is among several claims in Spencer's book that have sparked tensions with the royal household over his recollections of key moments involving his sister.
Princess Anne allegedly asked Spencer: "Tell me, how's a christening supposed to go?" when he enquired about his niece's christening on 27 July 1981. Spencer wrote that he "turned red and looked at my plate, unable to conjure up a reply" as a self-described "17 and clueless" teenager unfamiliar with formal dinner conversation. The comment comes from Spencer's upcoming book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which has already prompted a strongly worded response from Buckingham Palace regarding other allegations against King Charles; the Palace declined to comment specifically about the claim relating to Anne.
- Anne's withering remark to 17-year-old Earl Spencer at a 1981 palace dinner embarrassed the teenager
- The incident involved a comment about his niece Zara Phillips's christening that day
- It appears in Spencer's forthcoming memoir that has sparked royal tensions
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Earl Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, has written a memoir called Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which details his memories of significant events in Diana's life, particularly her marriage to Prince Charles in 1981. The book contains various recollections of conversations and incidents involving members of the royal family, and Buckingham Palace has already issued a strongly worded response to some of the claims within it.
Spencer was present at many key moments in Diana's life and his perspective is considered historically significant because he witnessed important events from an insider's viewpoint. His accounts in the memoir have proven sensitive as they sometimes conflict with how the royal household recalls events, creating tension between Spencer and the palace.
The book represents a rare first-hand account from someone close to Diana, and her story remains of considerable public interest decades after her death. Spencer's recollections about conversations and incidents within the royal family have generated controversy, underscoring how differently family members can remember the same events.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Memoirs serve an important purpose in providing authentic personal accounts of lived experience. Even seemingly minor incidents can carry genuine emotional significance and reveal interpersonal dynamics that shaped family relationships. Spencer, as the person who experienced this moment, has the right to include his recollection of how it affected him, contributing to a more complete and honest understanding of the royal family as real people with complex relationships rather than sanitised public figures.
The case against
A single remark recalled more than four decades later by someone who was seventeen at the time, without corroboration or Princess Anne's perspective, provides limited basis for public criticism. The incident appears to reflect ordinary social awkwardness at a formal dinner rather than deliberate cruelty, and airing such minor family grievances in a commercially motivated book breaches privacy norms and damages relationships. Spencer's selective recollection of family interactions risks presenting incomplete snapshots as character indictments.