Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer’s bombshell new book on his late sister has finally been released – and there are several unflattering allegations about other royals, as well as King Charles
Princess Diana’s brother takes aim at several members of the Royal Family, including the late Queen, in his bombshell new memoir.
The Earl has sparked controversy in recent days after it emerged he makes a series of claims about the King in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister – including that Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” after she died – which has prompted a war of words between him and Buckingham Palace.
A palace spokesman said last week that the King is “mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise”. But Spencer hit back in an interview on Sunday with the BBC, where he said: “I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said.”
Today, the eagerly-awaited book went on sale with readers able to view the memoir in full following a high-profile serialisation last week. And it appears the uncle of Princes William and Harry has also taken aim at royals other than his former brother-in-law…
Late Queen
When it comes to Diana’s mother-in-law, the late Queen, Spencer claims that his sister was “told off” by Elizabeth II over a new hairstyle.
He writes that onlookers had gasped when Diana appeared at the state opening of Parliament in 1984, when she styled her hair in a chignon – and dominated the next day’s headlines, with the Earl claiming the late Queen was not amused.
He writes: “Diana was told off, and she – ever respectful of ‘the boss’ as she called the Queen – from that point on, always wore her hair more simply at events that they both attended.”
In the book, he also alleges the Queen asked tetchily: “What is she up to now?” before she realised the car crash she was involved in in Paris was serious.
However, the Earl adds that Diana would have been ‘proud’ the late Queen “praised her so generously” when she gave an address to the nation the day before the late Princess of Wales ’s funeral.”
Prince Philip
In another part of the book, Spencer makes allegations about the lengths Prince Philip went to dissuade the late Queen from having the then Prince Charles’ ears pinned back.
Spencer says in the book that the procedure was discussed, as they had led to him being teased at school and mocked in the media, but Philip wanted to put a stop to it and used the Queen’s corgis to prove a point.
He alleges: “Philip not only stopped the medical procedure from being considered further, but he also had one of the Queen’s corgis’ ears operated on.
“This was to serve as some sort of lasting reminder of a plan that Prince Philip had decided was ridiculous for its softness and vanity.”
Princess Anne and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
In some of the book’s early chapters, Spencer recalls how he and Diana spent their childhood days in the vicinity of the royals at Sandringham – including the likes of Princess Anne, who would “shut down” any small talk and the former Andrew.
Writing about going to church services in Norfolk alongside Charles’ brother Andrew, he wrote: “I also remember one Sunday, years later, when he was a teenager attending Sandringham church in the royal pews.
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“Diana and I both saw Andrew raise his eyebrows with theatrical exaggeration and a smirk after the priest referred to the ‘virgin’s womb’.”
King Charles
In extracts before the book was released, allegations emerged about the King that in the days after Diana’s death, Charles apparently said “we’ll forget her soon enough” as he and the Earl rowed about funeral arrangements.
He also claims the King sounded “giddily elated” in the wake of his ex-wife’s death and said he sounded like a lottery winner.
And in the book, he also claims Charles “stamped his foot” and told the Earl he was lucky after his father died in 1991, meaning Spencer then inherited the huge Althorp estate.
He writes that Charles said: “You’re just so lucky — you know, inheriting when you’re so young … And, I mean, I’m 43 … and I employ 50 people … but my parents insist on treating me like — like a child!”
Spencer added: “At this he stamped his foot in emphasis, I have to say, very much like a child; and a petulant one, at that.”
Buckingham Palace’s response to the claims was: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
