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Earl Spencer has reignited controversy surrounding the British royal family with claims about the reaction of King Charles following the death of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.
In excerpts from his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Earl Spencer recalls receiving news of Diana's fatal car crash while at his home in Cape Town, South Africa. According to his account, a series of telephone calls followed before then Prince Charles contacted him.
Spencer claims that Charles sounded unusually cheerful during the conversation, describing his voice as resembling that of someone who had unexpectedly won a lottery. He contrasts this with other people who contacted him and whom he remembers as being shocked and struggling to express their condolences.
The allegation has prompted a strong response from Buckingham Palace, which questioned the reliability of Spencer's recollection nearly three decades after the events.
A palace spokesperson said that grief can affect people's memories and judgment in ways that may not be apparent to others. The response came after earlier excerpts from the book reportedly claimed that Charles had suggested Diana would eventually be forgotten.
The memoir is expected to provide Earl Spencer's personal perspective on his sister's life, including her troubled marriage to Charles. He writes that a friend of Diana's told him that Charles had expressed happiness about marrying her but had not been in love with her before their 1981 wedding.
Spencer also describes the marriage as becoming extremely difficult and writes that both Diana and Charles appeared to struggle with their relationship at different points.
The book contains personal reflections on Diana's emotional wellbeing. Spencer writes that he believes she may have had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and experienced what he describes as rejection sensitive dysphoria. He also claims Diana considered taking her own life during her later years but was prevented from going further by her love for her sons, William and Harry.
The claims have been disputed by people who were close to the royal household at the time. Dickie Arbiter, who served as press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II during Diana's death and funeral, rejected the suggestion that Charles was elated, saying he remembered the then Prince as devastated.
Royal commentator Jennie Bond offered a more cautious response, saying Spencer's account represented his own memory while noting that conversations can be remembered differently by the people involved.
The controversy comes as members of the royal family continue their public engagements. Prince Harry attended the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards in Greenwich, where he met veterans and delivered a speech after serving on the judging panel.
Meanwhile, King Charles hosted an artificial intelligence summit in Ayrshire, while Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, took part in a beach clean up on Scotland's Isle of Bute.
With Spencer's memoir set for publication next week, his account is likely to generate further discussion about Diana's death, her marriage and the private experiences of the royal family during one of Britain's most scrutinised periods.
