Charles Spencer says he kept Diana memoir secret from family

Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, said he kept his memoir about his sister secret from his family until shortly before its release, telling CBS Mornings that only his wife and publishers knew about the book during its preparation.

Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, said he kept his memoir about his sister secret from his family until shortly before its release, telling CBS Mornings that only his wife and publishers knew about the book during its preparation.

“I decided not to have anyone involved in the book, so no one knew about it except my wife, obviously, and the publishers,” Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, told host Gayle King.

Spencer said he deliberately kept the book from family members because he did not want anyone, particularly Prince Harry, to be seen as having been involved in writing it.

“I didn’t tell any of the family until just before it was released publicly as a thing because I didn’t want anyone to think — particularly with Harry … — that he was in any way involved in this,” he said.

King asked Spencer whether he had spoken to Prince William and Harry after the book’s release. He said he had, but added that he had not asked whether they approved of the memoir.

Spencer said Harry had asked whether there was anything in the book that would embarrass him. Spencer said he replied: “Absolutely not.”

Spencer also defended his account of a telephone conversation he said he had with then-Prince Charles after Diana’s death in 1997. He has claimed Charles said, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” Buckingham Palace has disputed the reliability of Spencer’s recollection, saying grief can affect memory and judgment.

During the CBS interview, Spencer said he had told people about the alleged conversation at the time, including US journalist Barbara Walters. He rejected suggestions that his memory was unreliable.

Spencer’s memoir, “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister”, was published on Sept. 22. The book has drawn attention for its claims about Diana’s relationship with Charles, her death and the aftermath.

Copies of the £28 hardback were offered at half price at some UK bookstores, including Waterstones, on the day of release. The discount was reported by several outlets but does not by itself establish that it was linked to controversy surrounding the book.