EXCLUSIVE: Charles Spencer's Princess Diana Memoir 'Part of His Mission to Brand King Charles a Beast'
Charles Spencer's explosive memoir accused of attempting to vilify King Charles.
Oct. 4 2026, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Charles Spencer is said to be intent on trying to paint King Charles as a "beast" who treated Princess Diana appallingly and responded to her death with chilling indifference, furious royal sources have told RadarOnline.com.
Spencer, 62, has made a series of devastating allegations about Charles, 77, in his new memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, including that the then Prince of Wales sounded "giddily elated – like a lottery winner" after Diana died aged 36 in Paris in 1997.
Memoir Claims Puts King Charles Under Renewed Scrutiny
Spencer wants to paint King Charles as a cold beast in his new memoir, according to sources.
He further suggests Charles initially thought her death could clear the way for him to marry Camilla Parker Bowles, now Queen Camilla, 79.
A royal source claimed, "The overwhelming feeling is that Spencer wants readers to come away seeing Charles as some kind of beast – a cold, calculating man who made Diana miserable in life and was almost relieved when she died.
"That portrait isn't created by one allegation. It is built relentlessly through the book by taking deeply painful episodes and repeatedly placing Charles in the worst imaginable light.
"The most incendiary suggestion is that Diana's death somehow represented an opportunity for Charles because it removed an obstacle to his future with Camilla. People around the King find that interpretation grotesque."
The insider added, "Then you have the description of him supposedly sounding almost euphoric after Diana died. Put these claims together, and you create an image of a man virtually devoid of humanity at the moment his sons had lost their mother.
Spencer alleged the tragic death cleared a path for Queen Camilla.
"Those defending Charles believe that is precisely the impression Spencer wants readers to retain. Their argument is that recollections from other people who witnessed those days describe a devastated father confronting an unimaginable situation – not the monster depicted in this account.
"Spencer says he is recording history and honoring Diana. The King's supporters believe he is prosecuting an ancient family grievance and using some of the most emotionally explosive material imaginable to do it."
Charles' supporters said he was "very emotional" in the wake of Diana's death, and worried about the public response to her passing.
Buckingham Palace issued an unusually pointed response to Spencer's claims.
It said: "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 don't recognise, even many years after such a loss."
'It Just Seemed So Monstrous'
Prince William and Prince Harry were forced behind their mother's coffin, according to Spencer.
Spencer has maintained that his book is intended to establish the historical record rather than destroy Charles's reputation.
His memoir also attacks the decision to make Prince William, now 44, and Prince Harry, now 42, walk behind Diana's coffin.
Spencer said: "It just seemed so monstrous. My sister wouldn't have wanted that."
The dispute has reopened the bitter history surrounding Charles and Diana's marriage as the 30th anniversary of her death approaches in August 2027.
Royal Family Faces Renewed Historical Dispute
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Spencer's book has renewed debate over King Charles and Princess Diana.
Another royal source claimed: "There is a belief that Spencer isn't simply criticizing Charles – he is constructing a character readers are supposed to despise.
"Almost every significant moment involving Diana is presented through a lens that makes Charles appear colder, more selfish or more calculating.
"The cumulative effect is incredibly powerful. Readers are invited to believe Charles failed Diana as a husband, abandoned her emotionally, and then regarded her death as removing a problem from his life."
The insider noted, "People close to the King think that's profoundly unfair. They believe Spencer has taken an enormously complicated, tragic relationship and reduced Charles to some kind of fairytale villain in Diana's entire story."
