Princess Diana’s death in the Paris crash on August 31, 1997, shocked the world. Nearly three decades later, her brother, Earl Spencer, has revisited the events in his forthcoming book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, including a phone call he says he received from the then-Prince Charles shortly after Diana’s death.
According to Spencer, Charles sounded unusually upbeat during the conversation, while other people who contacted him appeared stunned and struggled to offer condolences. Spencer later described the call as making Charles sound “like a lottery winner” and said Charles told him he had already informed William and Harry about their mother’s death at Balmoral.
Spencer also claims Charles told him, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” He further offered his own interpretation of Charles’ reaction, suggesting that the prince may have been thinking about how Diana’s death could affect his future rather than focusing on her loss. These statements are Spencer’s recollections and interpretations of events from 1997.
Buckingham Palace addressed Spencer’s account, saying it does not normally comment on books but noting that profound grief can affect memory, judgment and how past events are remembered. The palace did not provide a detailed alternative account of the phone call. Diana’s death remains one of the most remembered tragedies in modern royal history, and her family’s memories of that period continue to draw public attention.