Buckingham Palace pushes back on Earl Spencer's claims about King Charles

Key facts

• Earl Spencer claims King Charles said Diana would be "forgotten soon enough" after her death.
• The alleged comment was made during a phone call following a dispute over Princes William and Harry walking in Diana's funeral procession.
• Buckingham Palace stated that the pain of grief can cloud reason, affect judgment, and colour memory.
• Earl Spencer's memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is due to be published next week.
• Four copies of the Dutch edition of the book were reportedly stolen from a truck.

Buckingham Palace has strongly refuted claims made by Earl Charles Spencer in his upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. Spencer alleges that King Charles, then Prince of Wales, expressed contempt for Diana and stated she would be "forgotten soon enough" days after her death in 1997. The Palace responded by suggesting that the pain of grief can cloud reason, affect judgment, and colour memory in ways that others may not recognise.

The dispute reportedly stemmed from Earl Spencer's objection to Princes William and Harry, then aged 15 and 12, walking in their mother's funeral procession. According to extracts published by the Daily Mail, Earl Spencer claims Charles "unleashed down the phone what I have always taken to be his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death." He further alleged Charles hissed, "Rest assured,' he hissed, 'we'll forget her soon enough!'"

Earl Spencer's book is expected to be critical of the Royal Family and aims to "set the record straight against 'untruths'" about his sister. The memoir is scheduled for worldwide release next Tuesday. Meanwhile, Dutch police are investigating the theft of four copies of the book from a lorry.