Good Morning Britain viewers reacted strongly after the ITV programme discussed new claims made by Princess Diana’s younger brother, Earl Charles Spencer, about King Charles and the events surrounding Diana’s funeral in 1997.
Earl Spencer has made several serious allegations in his upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. Among them, he claims that the then Prince Charles behaved like a “petulant child” during disagreements over Diana’s funeral arrangements.
He also alleges that Charles told him they would “forget her soon enough.” Earl Spencer has stood by his version of events, while Buckingham Palace has questioned his recollection.
The subject was discussed on Good Morning Britain, where viewers were also told about Earl Spencer’s comments concerning his nephew Prince Harry and the long-running disagreement over his security arrangements in Britain.
Journalist Ashna Hurynag explained that Earl Spencer believes some of Harry’s experiences remind him of what happened to his sister Diana.
During a recent BBC interview, Spencer said he was concerned that Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne and previously served in the British military, does not automatically receive police protection whenever he is in Britain.
Spencer said his feelings on the issue are strongly influenced by what happened to Diana. He explained that, as her brother, he believes her death happened in circumstances that could have been prevented. Because of that experience, he said he would naturally favour providing protection for Harry.
His comments quickly caused debate among viewers. Some people on social media were unhappy that Earl Spencer was being given more television coverage, while others questioned why he was speaking publicly about Harry’s security situation.
One viewer argued that the subject had already received too much attention and suggested that Spencer’s television appearances were connected to the release of his new book.
Another person questioned why Earl Spencer should be involved in the debate over Harry’s security at all. The viewer suggested that if Spencer believed Harry needed additional private protection, he could help pay for it himself.
Prince Harry’s security arrangements changed after he and Meghan stepped away from their roles as senior working members of the Royal Family in 2020 and moved abroad.
After that decision, Harry stopped receiving the same automatic level of taxpayer-funded police protection that he had received as a senior working royal. His security when visiting Britain instead became something that would be considered depending on the circumstances of each visit.
Harry later launched legal action over the decision. The dispute became a major issue for the Duke of Sussex, who has repeatedly said that security concerns affected his ability to bring his family to Britain.
Earl Spencer has now added his voice to the debate, saying Harry’s situation should be properly examined. His intervention has attracted even more attention because it comes as he prepares to release a highly personal book about Princess Diana.
The memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is due to be released on September 22 and contains Spencer’s memories of his sister’s life, marriage, death and the difficult days surrounding her funeral.
One of the most controversial parts of the book concerns an alleged conversation between Spencer and the man who is now King Charles. Spencer claims that during an argument about Diana’s funeral, Charles told him that Diana would soon be forgotten.
Spencer has insisted that he clearly remembers the conversation and says those were the words used. He has continued to defend his account despite the Palace questioning his version of events.
Buckingham Palace took the unusual step of responding publicly to the allegations. A Palace spokesperson said that while it normally does not comment on books, grief following the death of a sibling can affect a person’s judgment and memories, even many years later.
Earl Spencer, however, has rejected the suggestion that grief has affected his memory and has continued to stand by what he wrote. The disagreement has therefore created another public dispute involving Diana’s family and the Royal Family nearly three decades after her death.
With Spencer’s book about to be released, his comments about King Charles, Prince Harry and Princess Diana are likely to continue attracting attention, although the claims about private conversations remain his account and are disputed by the Palace.
