Arabic version: تشارلز سبنسر يدافع عن مزاعمه في مذكراته عن ديانا

According to ABC News, Charles Spencer has defended allegations about Britain’s royal family contained in his forthcoming memoir, saying he is “telling the truth”. The claims, particularly those concerning King Charles III, have prompted a public response from Buckingham Palace.

Spencer’s book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, recounts phone calls he says he had with Charles around the time Princess Diana died in a 1997 car crash in Paris. He alleged that Charles sounded “giddily elated” during a call on the night Diana died and said “we’ll forget her soon enough” several days later.

Buckingham Palace said after excerpts were published that, while it did not comment on books as a matter of principle, the King was mindful that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory” years after a loss. In a BBC interview broadcast on Friday evening, Spencer responded by asking whether the King was “furious” or “embarrassed”.

Pressed on the alleged remark about forgetting Diana, Spencer said he had had only two calls with Prince Charles in his life and was “hyper alert” to what was said. He said he had told friends and family about the conversation at the time because it was “so monstrous”. Dickie Arbiter, Buckingham Palace’s press spokesman when Diana died, rejected the book’s claims, calling them “hogwash” and saying Charles had been devastated by her death. The book is due in stores next week.