Charles Spencer’s memoir about his late sister, Princess Diana, and her marriage to Britain’s current monarch, King Charles III, reached bookstores Tuesday.
Published worldwide by Penguin, the book has been translated into 12 languages.
It sparked a royal dispute before publication after excerpts containing controversial allegations from Spencer drew an unusual written response from the king.
Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer and Diana’s younger brother, has long criticized the House of Windsor over its treatment of the princess.
What does Spencer say about Charles and Diana?
Among the claims publicized before the book’s release, Spencer wrote that Charles sounded “giddily elated” and “like a lottery winner” when he phoned him after Diana died.
He also said he opposed plans for William and Harry to walk behind their mother’s coffin at her 1997 funeral, arguing that Diana would not have wanted them to endure the ordeal.
According to Spencer, Charles became furious and told him: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
William was 15 and Harry was 12 at the time.
Images of the young princes walking behind Diana’s coffin became some of the most enduring and somber scenes of her funeral.
How has King Charles III responded?
After excerpts were released last week, Buckingham Palace issued a strongly worded statement.
“His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss,” the palace said. Such a direct response from the royal household is uncommon.
Princess Diana’s life and death
Diana married Charles, then Prince of Wales, in 1981. The 20-year-old royal’s wedding to the 32-year-old heir was broadcast around the world and widely presented as a fairytale romance.
The couple’s relationship deteriorated, and their marriage ended in a very public split. Diana later told the BBC that “there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” referring to Charles’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles.
Known as the “People’s Princess,” Diana remained deeply loved by millions around the world. Her prominence also subjected her to relentless media scrutiny throughout most of her adult life.
The couple divorced in 1996. Diana died in a car crash in Paris the following year at age 36 while being pursued by paparazzi.
Charles married Parker Bowles in 2005.
