Prince William's Reaction to Earl Spencer's 'Tawdry' Memoir Reportedly 'Exposed' by Royal Historian

Royal historian Alex Larman has speculated about how Prince William may view his uncle Earl Spencer's forthcoming memoir, as the future king confronts fresh scrutiny over claims described as 'tawdry' by critics of the 62-year-old earl.

The allegations, contained in Spencer's book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, have prompted a rare response from Buckingham Palace, with Larman suggesting William could regard the timing as damaging to an institution he hopes to reform.

For context, the memoir has already drawn an unusually direct statement from palace officials after Spencer claimed King Charles sounded 'giddily elated – like a lottery winner' when he called following Diana's death in August 1997.

Spencer also alleges the then-prince told him 'we'll forget her soon enough' during a heated argument over funeral arrangements. Palace officials responded that 'the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason and judgment,' a carefully worded statement that broke the monarchy's traditional silence on such matters.

Royal Historian Labels Earl Spencer's Claims 'Tawdry'

Speaking on GB News, Larman did not hold back in his assessment of the 62-year-old earl's decision to publish such claims nearly three decades after his sister's death.

'It's tawdry. That's the only way of describing it – there is something vulgar about this, it's very hard,' he said. 'You can see there is no need for this story to be emerging now – 29 years is a terribly long time to hold a grudge.'

The historian argued that Spencer is 'taking revenge on the King, whether this is true or not,' pointing to the earl's famous 1997 funeral speech, which he described as 'essentially a declaration of war.'

Larman noted the book arrives during what has already been 'a difficult year for the King,' citing health concerns and ongoing family tensions.

The memoir, scheduled for publication on 22 September by Michael Joseph, part of Penguin Random House, has divided opinion among royal commentators. Some view it as a long-overdue reckoning, others as a gratuitous reopening of old wounds.

What Larman Thinks William May Make of the Claims

When asked how William might react, Larman drew a sharp distinction between the Prince of Wales's relationship with his uncle and that of his brother Harry.

'We hear that Harry is very close to Earl Spencer. We don't hear that William is very close to Earl Spencer,' he observed. 'You'd imagine there are some very tense WhatsApps going round at the moment.'

The stakes for William are considerable. As Larman put it, the future king 'very much sees himself as this reforming monarch, the person who's going to take the difficulties and controversies of the last few years and build it afresh.' Yet memoirs like this, he warned, are 'damaging the institution of the monarchy.'

William has spent years urging those who invoke his mother's memory to let her rest in peace. Larman suggested William will be asking himself: 'Why do we have to deal with this? Why is my uncle doing it?'

Earl Spencer has doubled down on his claims in interviews, said that Laura Kuenssberg that Charles's words were 'exactly' as he recorded them. 'I was hyper alert to what he was saying and those are precisely the words that he said,' he insisted.

Larman said it remains to be seen how the controversy will affect Spencer and the royal family. 'Whether it's damaging for him or for the royals is what we're going to find out.'