A fresh royal family conflict has erupted after Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer and brother of the late Princess Diana, published a revealing new memoir that has reportedly left Prince William feeling deeply betrayed.
The book, titled “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” hit shelves last week and contains explosive claims about the aftermath of Diana’s death. Among the most contentious revelations, Spencer alleges he vehemently opposed King Charles III’s decision to have Prince William and Prince Harry walk behind their mother’s coffin during the 1997 funeral procession.
Royal analyst Kinsey Schofield told Page Six that the situation cuts particularly deep for William because the source of these revelations is his own family member. “With Prince William, there is an additional sense of betrayal because this is coming from his own uncle,” she explained.
Spencer, 62, claims he engaged in a heated argument with Charles over the funeral arrangements, but his objections were ultimately overruled. The young princes ultimately joined their father in the solemn march from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey.
A Promise Broken?
Schofield noted the painful irony in the situation. “Charles Spencer stood at Diana’s funeral and publicly promised that her blood family would protect William and Harry,” she said. “Nearly three decades later, William is watching that same uncle reopen some of the most traumatic events of his childhood while making very damaging allegations about his father.”
The royal commentator emphasized that William’s concerns extend beyond personal family dynamics. As the future monarch, the ongoing damage to the royal institution affects his eventual inheritance.
“The institution being damaged by another round of Charles and Diana warfare is the institution William will eventually inherit,” Schofield stated. She added that questions are circulating within William’s circle about how revisiting disputed private conversations from nearly 30 years ago serves either of Diana’s sons.
Questioning Motives
Schofield, who hosts the “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered” podcast, expressed skepticism about Spencer’s intentions. “Does anyone really believe that Diana would sacrifice the peace of her adult children to have this one sentence out in the world?” she asked.
According to Schofield, William, 44, has dedicated much of his adult life to protecting his mother’s legacy. “He has attempted to resist the endless excavation and commercialization of her life and death,” she said. “For that boundary to now be crossed by Diana’s own brother makes this particularly painful for William.”
Different Angles of Anger
Sources indicate that both William and King Charles harbor frustration over the situation, though for distinct reasons. “For the King, there is genuine anger at what is seen as character assassination based on an alleged private conversation from almost 30 years ago,” Schofield explained.
She noted that Charles has grown accustomed to being portrayed unfavorably in narratives about Diana. “He endured the hostility of the 1990s, the collapse of his marriage, and the brutal public reaction following Diana’s death,” Schofield said. “Being portrayed as the villain in somebody else’s retelling of that period is, unfortunately, familiar territory for him.”
Harry’s Strategic Position
Meanwhile, Prince Harry appears to be taking a different approach with his uncle. Royal journalist Tom Sykes told Page Six that the Duke of Sussex has been actively courting Spencer’s favor amid speculation that Harry and Meghan Markle are developing a documentary about Diana.
“There is no denying [Spencer] is a big name, and he will give the documentary credibility,” Sykes claimed. “So [the Sussexes] need to woo him and get him onside.”
The relationship between William and Harry has remained strained since 2020, when Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the United States. Their subsequent public criticisms of the monarchy deepened the rift.
After six years in Montecito, California, the couple recently made the surprising decision to return to the UK. While tensions between Harry and his father appear to be gradually easing, reconciliation with William remains uncertain.