Princess Diana's Love for Prince William and Prince Harry Saved Her From Suicide, Charles Spencer Says

Charles Spencer has written that his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, experienced suicidal thoughts during periods of severe distress and stopped herself from going further because of her love for her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

The account appears in Spencer's memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, pxublished on 22 September 2026. The book revisits Diana's marriage to the then Prince of Wales and Spencer's recollections of her private struggles.

Diana had previously spoken about depression, an eating disorder and self-harm during her marriage. Spencer's book adds his own recollections and interpretation of what she experienced, rather than independent findings about her mental health.

Princess Diana's Sons Were Central to Spencer's Account

Spencer writes that Diana considered ending her life on more than one occasion. He says her attachment to William and Harry prevented her from acting further on those thoughts.

'Her love for her sons stopped her from going further,' Spencer wrote.

His account portrays Diana as feeling isolated and trapped during parts of her marriage. Spencer also writes that Diana told him her husband could be too busy for her and, at other times, critical of her.

He recalls Diana saying Charles had married a 20-year-old but 'seemed always to wish she was nearer to 35, in character and outlook.'

Those passages are presented as Spencer's recollections of conversations with his sister. They are not independently established findings, and his account of the episodes involving suicidal thoughts has not been corroborated by documents or additional witnesses in the material reviewed.

Buckingham Palace has not publicly addressed Spencer's account of Diana's suicidal thoughts specifically. It has, however, disputed other allegations in the memoir.

Responding to claims concerning King Charles III's conduct after Diana's death, the palace said the King was mindful that 'the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise.'

Spencer has stood by his broader account of events.

The distinction is important because the memoir relies heavily on family recollection. Spencer is describing how he understood Diana's experiences and what he says she told him during difficult periods of her life.

Princess Diana Had Previously Discussed Her Mental Health

Diana had previously described serious mental health struggles in tape-recorded answers provided for Andrew Morton's biography Diana: Her True Story. The recordings were made through her friend James Colthurst, who relayed questions and recorded her responses for Morton.

In those accounts, Diana discussed an eating disorder and linked some of her distress to remarks she said Charles made about her body. She recalled becoming extremely thin while staying at Balmoral and said her condition had deteriorated badly by October.

Diana also said she returned to London early to seek treatment. She described self-harm during a period of severe depression, as well as uncertainty in her relationship with Charles, which she characterised as 'hot and cold.'

Her recorded account also included an allegation that, shortly before their wedding, she discovered Charles had commissioned a bracelet intended for Camilla Parker Bowles. That allegation remains Diana's account and should not be presented as independently established fact.

Spencer's memoir therefore adds a new family perspective to struggles Diana had already described in her own words. His central assertion is that William and Harry were a powerful protective force for her during periods when she was experiencing suicidal thoughts.

The claim remains Spencer's recollection. Suicide is complex and is rarely explained by a single factor, so his account does not establish that one relationship or circumstance alone determined Diana's actions.