Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer’s memoir about his sister, which has sparked controversy with a string of allegations against the King, has finally gone on sale today
Earl Spencer’s explosive memoir about his sister Princess Diana has finally gone on sale today – for half price.
The Earl has sparked controversy 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 book finally hit shelves and was available to buy, with Waterstones selling it for £14 – half the recommended retail price of £28.
In addition, TGJones, which was formerly WH Smith, is also selling the book with a “50% introductory discount to customers”, meaning it is also on sale for £14.
It comes as Diana’s brother claimed that his nephew Prince Harry is “completely fine” with the new memoir chronicling the life of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales – despite the claims made in it about his father.
Asked about telling Harry and the Prince of Wales about the book, the earl told People magazine: “I can say that Harry is completely fine about it. He said, I hope there’s nothing embarrassing about him in it. I said, ‘There isn’t’.
“I think they were actually worried where I was going up to with the book. It pretty much ends in 1997 with Diana’s death, and there’s a tiny postscript by the grave.
“So I think there was this, ‘Gosh, what’s he written about?’ And I think it’s natural that people so in the public eye are concerned how they will come across in the book.
“But I could reassure both of them that they’re of course in the book, but really as examples of two little boys who had the most exceptional mother, I’m not in any way compromising their privacy at all.”
It comes amid reports that Harry is planning a documentary about Diana for the 30th anniversary of her death next year.
A source close to Harry told the Mirror : “The Duke has discussed a number of possible projects to mark the 30th anniversary of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales’s passing, and is still considering the most meaningful way to honour her legacy.”
The Earl admitted to “concern” about how William and Harry would feel about his portrayal of their father, but added he is “not here” to write a “scandalous book” about the King.
He told the magazine he did “not really” have any fear about writing so candidly about Charles.
“I respect the institution of the Crown, and I know that most people in Britain do, especially the older generation, but when I’m writing this book, I’m not interested in who people are in terms of status,” he added. “I’m looking at them as people. And the central person, the only one that really matters, is Diana.”
The earl said he believes his sister would have liked the book. “She always loved it when I paid compliments, and this is 350 pages of compliments,” he said.
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