Earl Spencer's forthcoming memoir reveals that Queen Elizabeth offered to restore Princess Diana's HRH (Her Royal Highness) title on the day of her funeral, an offer the Earl rejected at the time. This revelation from "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" has triggered significant controversy within the Royal Family and prompted a defensive statement from the Palace. The disclosure matters because it sheds light on the Queen's response to Diana's loss and the family's handling of her legacy following the car crash in 1997.

Diana had lost her HRH title in August 1996 following her divorce from Prince Charles, which Earl Spencer described as "petty and vindictive." The Queen's offer, conveyed by her Private Secretary Robert Fellowes during a train journey to Diana's private burial at Althorp, came just hours after Earl Spencer delivered his defiant eulogy at her funeral. The Earl rejected the offer as a "consolation prize," arguing that the title should never have been removed during Diana's lifetime. The memoir has also sparked a "war of words" between the King and Earl Spencer, particularly over the Earl's claim that Prince Charles said "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough" days after Diana's death—a claim the Palace has disputed, suggesting grief can "cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory."