'The Truth About Diana': Earl Spencer Breaks His Silence With Explosive New Book Promising 'Many Revelations'

Earl Spencer will publish his most detailed account yet of his sister Diana's life, marriage and final days in a new memoir. He says the book will challenge decades of 'untruths' about the Princess of Wales.

'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister' will be published in the UK on 22 September by Penguin Michael Joseph, shortly after the 30th anniversary of Diana's death in a Paris car crash on 31 August 1997.

Spencer, 62, said he was prompted to write the book after being inundated with requests for interviews ahead of the anniversary and growing frustrated with accounts of his sister that he believes have become accepted as fact.

'This has convinced me to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all,' Spencer said, arguing that many opinions about Diana are 'based on untruths that have become accepted over time'.

He said his central aim was to 'tell the truth about Diana from her brother's perspective', echoing the approach he took when delivering his emotional eulogy at her funeral in 1997.

Spencer's Memoir Promises To 'Tell the Truth' About Diana

The memoir is expected to cover Diana's childhood, her turbulent marriage to the then Prince of Wales, her public life and the events surrounding her death and its aftermath. It will also offer Spencer's perspective on the Royal Family's response to the public grief that followed Diana's death, according to the publisher.

Spencer has remained closely associated with Diana's legacy since her death, particularly because of the speech he delivered at Westminster Abbey just days after the Paris crash.

In the address, he defended his sister against the media attention surrounding her and pledged to protect her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, from the pressures that had surrounded their mother.

The new book is being presented as an extension of that tribute, with Spencer now able to provide a longer and more personal account. He described Diana as a 'one-off' and a 'dynamic character' who was full of 'love, charisma and self-doubt'.

Spencer said he hoped the memoir would appeal both to people who remember Diana during her lifetime and younger readers who know her primarily through archive footage, documentaries and dramatisations. He said he would be 'delighted' if younger generations finished the book feeling that they understood 'who she really was'.

Publisher Says Spencer's Memoir Contains 'Many Revelations'

Penguin Michael Joseph is positioning 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister' as both a personal memoir and a historical account. Daniel Bunyard, publishing director at Penguin Random House UK, said the book contained 'many revelations that will draw considerable attention'.

Bunyard described Spencer's perspective as intimate, given his relationship with Diana, and praised the memoir as a candid tribute to the princess.

The book will add another account to an already crowded market of biographies, documentaries and dramatisations about Diana. However, Spencer's position as her brother gives him access to memories and family experiences unavailable to many previous authors.

The memoir is also likely to attract attention because Spencer has previously discussed how difficult the anniversary of Diana's death remains for him. He has spoken about receiving emotional reactions from strangers who remember exactly where they were when they learned Diana had died, illustrating the hold her memory continues to have three decades later.

Diana was 36 when she died alongside Dodi Fayed in the Paris crash. William was 15 and Harry was 12 at the time.

Whether Spencer's account will reshape public perceptions of Diana is an open question. For the first time, however, her brother is setting out a comprehensive version of her story in his own words, and the publisher's promise of 'many revelations' will put the book under intense scrutiny.