Royals
Princess Diana’s brother clarifies Prince Harry’s involvement in bombshell book
Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, insists his nephew Prince Harry was not involved in his bombshell memoir.
The 9th Earl Spencer explained to Gayle King during a “CBS Mornings” interview Monday why he “decided not to have anyone involved in making “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.”
He noted, “Nobody knew about it except my wife, [Cat Jarman], obviously, and the publishers. I didn’t tell any of the family until just before it was released publicly.”
This was “really important” to Spencer, 62, because he “didn’t want anyone to think” other family members were “in any way involved” in the book — “particularly” Harry.
The Duke of Sussex’s uncle pointed out that Harry, Meghan Markle and their two kids, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, stayed with him at Althorp House in July.
While the former military pilot, 42, was in the dark at the time, Spencer shared Harry’s response when he ultimately found out about the tell-all.
He allegedly asked, “Is there anything in there that would be embarrassing to me?’”
Spencer, who said he “absolutely [did] not” violate Harry’s privacy, clarified that he hasn’t asked him or Prince William whether they “approve” of the headline-making release.
Spencer similarly told People in last week’s cover story that he told the brothers “at the same time,” reassuring them they were “of course in the book, but really as examples of two little boys who had the most exceptional mother” without “compromising their privacy at all.”
He cryptically said, “All I would say is one was … I can say that Harry is completely fine about it.”
We hear Harry is in talks to make a Diana documentary commemorating the 30th anniversary of her passing — and that he is trying to “woo” his uncle into participating in the film.
Neither he nor William, 44, has commented on Spencer’s book publicly and has, in fact, awkwardly dodged questions about it in recent weeks.
The release features an unflattering portrayal of King Charles III’s alleged reaction to Diana’s death in August 1997.
Spencer claimed his ex-brother-in-law appeared “elated” over his former spouse’s fatal car crash and said during a phone call that Diana would be forgotten “soon enough.”
Meanwhile, Charles, 77, denied the allegations in a statement earlier this month, claiming that “the pain of fraternal grief” can “color memory.”
Diana’s sibling dubbed this response a form of “gaslight[ing]” during Monday’s sitdown.
He said, “I know I heard that. I’ve only had two conversations on the phone with the now-king, so that’s definitely the case. I told people at the time. I told Barbara Walters actually at the time.
“They have to gaslight,” Spencer continued. “They have to pretend there’s something sort of wrong with my mind or my memory. There’s nothing wrong with either.”
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