Princess Diana's Brother Defends Queen's 'Long Overdue' Response to Her Death — Claims She Stayed at Balmoral to Shield Grieving William and Harry
The Queen waited days before addressing Diana's death publicly.
Sept. 23 2026, Published 4:13 p.m. ET
The late Princess Diana's brother has fiercely defended Queen Elizabeth II over her controversial decision to wait several days before publicly breaking her silence on her former daughter-in-law's shocking death, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Charles Spencer writes in his new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, that the late monarch remained holed up at Balmoral and out of the public eye for one deeply personal reason — to comfort Diana's devastated young sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, as they grappled with the unimaginable loss of their mother.
Queen Elizabeth II Faced Backlash for Waiting to Speak Out
Queen Elizabeth II faced backlash for waiting five days to break her silence.
The Queen did not address her grieving nation — and the world — until September 5, 1997, five long days after Diana was killed in a horrific Paris car crash at just 36. It was only one day before her ceremonial funeral at Westminster Abbey.
Her prolonged silence sparked a furious public backlash, with devastated mourners accusing the monarch of appearing cold and detached as Britain was engulfed by an outpouring of grief over the shocking loss of the beloved “People’s Princess.”
Spencer noted the anger, writing: "To many, the monarch’s first public comments on Diana’s death were long overdue. There had been a feeling, fostered by the tabloids – eager to divert eyes from their umbilical cord to the paparazzi – that the Queen had got it very wrong indeed, staying at Balmoral for several days after the accident in Paris."
Charles Spencer Praised Queen's Response to Diana's Death
Queen Elizabeth wanted to make sure her grandsons were able to 'process their grief.'
The Queen addressed the nation from Buckingham Palace, after spending the days immediately after Diana's passing in her beloved Scotland with then-Prince Charles and the sons he shared with his ex-wife.
"She had done this to help William and Harry process the initial shock of grief with her, in private, but front pages demanded the Queen assume a figurehead role in the nation’s mourning," Spencer wrote about the sovereign.
"The Palace was even berated for having no flag at half-mast above Buckingham Palace after the death. When courtiers explained that no flag ever flew there when the Queen was not in residence, this was interpreted as an insult to Diana, and as an absurd adherence to outdated tradition in the face of popular need," he continued.
Queen Called Diana an 'Exceptional and Gifted Human Being'
Queen Elizabeth gave a heartfelt tribute to her late daughter-in-law.
“With so much riding on this TV address, I wondered how the Queen would play it,” Spencer recalled, as the monarchy found itself engulfed in crisis and thousands of grief-stricken mourners descended on Buckingham Palace, blanketing the gates with mountains of flowers, signs and heartfelt tributes to Diana.
"The monarch shrewdly framed what she had to say as coming from her ‘as a grandmother’ as well as a queen, then shared her personal appreciation of Diana: ‘She was an exceptional and gifted human being,’ the Queen remembered. ‘In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her – for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys," he recalled about the televised tribute.
'Diana Would Have Been Proud' About the Queen's Kind Words
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Charles Spencer said Diana would have been 'so proud to be praised by the Queen.'
Spencer noted of the Queen's speech about his sister, "Her final words were especially gracious: . . . May we, each and every one of us, thank God for someone who made many, many people happy.’"
The 9th Earl Spencer recalled, "Thirty-six years earlier, the Queen had welcomed Diana’s birth with a warm personal telegram to our parents. Now, she marked Diana’s death with an affectionate salute shared with the nation, and the world."
He called the speech "short and clever" and one that he was "sure would satisfy the majority."
"The Queen had listened to the national mood, and she had been appreciative of Diana, while validating her place in many people’s hearts," he continued. "I knew that Diana would have been proud to be praised by the Queen so generously. She had always looked up to her former mother-in-law."
