Prince Harry Is 'Completely Fine' With New Princess Diana Memoir, Earl Spencer Says

Prince Harry is 'completely fine' with his uncle's new book about Princess Diana, Earl Spencer said, as Swan Song: Diana, My Sister goes on sale in the UK on Tuesday.

The 9th Earl Spencer told People magazine that the Duke of Sussex only asked whether the book contained anything embarrassing about him, and was reassured that it did not. Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, 62, wrote the memoir ahead of the 30th anniversary of his sister's death in August 2027.

To recall, the book has already caused a stir well before its release. Extracts serialised in the Daily Mail last week included a claim that King Charles told Spencer 'we'll forget her soon enough' shortly before Diana's funeral in 1997.

Buckingham Palace responded with an unusually pointed statement, saying the King is 'mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise.' The exchange marked an unusually public response from Buckingham Palace to claims made by a senior member of the royal family.

Spencer, speaking to People, said he had been careful to reassure both Harry and the Prince of Wales about how they feature in this book. 'I think they were actually worried where I was going up to with the book,' he said.

'It pretty much ends in 1997 with Diana's death, and there's a tiny postscript by the grave.' He added that both nephews appear in the text mainly as 'two little boys who had the most exceptional mother,' and that he had not compromised their privacy.

The distinction comes as several pre-publication reports have focused on Spencer's claims about King Charles. Spencer said he was concerned about how the brothers might react to his portrayal of their father, though he insisted he never set out to write a scandalous book.

'I respect the institution of the Crown, and I know that most people in Britain do, especially the older generation,' he told People, 'but when I'm writing this book, I'm not interested in who people are in terms of status. I'm looking at them as people. And the central person, the only one that really matters, is Diana.'

Why Prince Harry's Reaction Matters Now

The timing is hardly accidental. Reports have suggested Harry is considering a documentary project about his mother to mark the 30th anniversary of her death in 2027, although no project has been finalised or confirmed, and any disagreement between Harry and his uncle over Swan Song could prompt further speculation about that project.f

Spencer's account presents no indication of a disagreement between him and Harry over the memoir, although Harry has not publicly commented on the claim.

Whether the wider royal family shares that calm is a separate question. The palace's statement last week was notably restrained in tone but unmistakably pointed in substance, and was issued in response to Spencer's account of the alleged 1997 conversation.

Spencer, for his part, has stood by his version of events, saying he is simply 'telling the truth.'

What Prince Harry Might Still Face

The dispute over Spencer's account has unfolded through media interviews and a statement from Buckingham Palace.

Spencer said he believes Diana would have approved of the book. 'She always loved it when I paid compliments, and this is 350 pages of compliments,' he said.

Neither Harry nor William has commented publicly. Whether that silence holds once readers actually get their hands on the memoir, published by Penguin Michael Joseph, remains to be seen.

Harry has not publicly commented on the memoir, so Spencer's description of his reaction remains the only publicly reported account of their conversation.