Buckingham Palace has issued an unprecedented public statement dismissing claims by Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, that King Charles said Diana would be "forgotten soon enough" in the days following her death in 1997. The dispute centres on Spencer's new memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," in which he recounts an alleged clash with then Prince Charles over whether Princes William and Harry would participate in their mother's funeral procession. The Palace's extraordinary response—suggesting grief can "cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory"—has been widely interpreted as an accusation that Spencer's recollection is unreliable, representing a rare and pointed intervention by the Royal Family against one of their own.

The revelation has provoked significant public and expert commentary, with royal observers noting the Palace's willingness to refute Spencer's claims stands in stark contrast to its silence regarding Prince Harry's memoir "Spare." Spencer, aged 62, states he wrote the book to correct "untruths" about his sister, describing the alleged King's outburst across several pages of his account. The public disagreement has sparked debate amongst royal commentators, with some expressing concern that the family conflict serves no constructive purpose and risks damaging relationships between King Charles and his sons William and Harry, who maintain connections to their uncle.