Charles Spencer's most personal book became the subject of an unexpected police investigation after copies were reportedly stolen just days before its release.
Four copies of Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, the 62-year-old's forthcoming memoir about Princess Diana, were taken from a lorry in the Netherlands.
The vehicle had been transporting books to a warehouse for distribution when its driver stopped overnight to sleep. On waking, the driver discovered a break-in, with only a handful of copies reportedly missing.
© Instagram / @charles.earl.spencerDutch police were said to be investigating the incident, which came ahead of the book's scheduled publication on 22 September.
Just days earlier, Charles had shared his excitement at holding a finished copy of the memoir, describing it as the most personal of the ten books he had written.
Charles Spencer's memoir about Princess Diana
Announced in August, Swan Song marked Charles's first extended account devoted to his sister, bringing together memories of their life together and the devastating week of her death.
The announcement came as the family approached the 30th anniversary of Diana's death, which will fall on 31 August 2027. The princess died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, aged 36.
Charles explained that repeated requests to speak about his sister had prompted him to put his memories into writing. "The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother's perspective, just as I attempted to do when speaking at her funeral," he said in the announcement.
© Instagram / @charles.earl.spencer"As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana's behalf and do so in an openly positive way."
He also addressed his frustration with accounts of Diana's life that he believed had become accepted without being accurate. "This has convinced me to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all, rather than having the discomfort of again reading the opinions of others, many of which are based on untruths that have become accepted over time," he said.
Charles Spencer's emotional first look at Swan Song
On 11 September, Charles shared a first look at the finished book on Instagram, reflecting on what it meant to see such a personal project in print.
"Always an amazing, and exhilarating, moment for an author to hold the first physical copy of a new book — and even more so for me with Swan Song, the most personal of the ten books I've written over the past three decades," he wrote. "At heart, this is a brother's simple tribute to an extraordinary sister."
© WireImageThe memoir followed a writing career that included historical works such as The White Ship and To Catch a King, alongside his 2024 childhood memoir, A Very Private School.
For Swan Song, Charles also recorded the audiobook himself, spending three days reading his memories aloud.
Charles Spencer's bond with Princess Diana
Charles had previously spoken about the closeness he shared with Diana, who was almost three years older than him.
Their elder sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, were away at boarding school for much of their early childhood, leaving the younger siblings together during a difficult period in their parents' marriage.
Reflecting on Diana's death in a 2017 interview with People, Charles described the instinct to protect her that had remained with him. "You always think, God, I wish I could've protected her. It was just ... it was devastating," he told the publication.
© InstagramHe delivered her eulogy at Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997, speaking on behalf of the family as mourners around the world watched the funeral. Nearly three decades later, he returned to that responsibility when explaining why he had written Swan Song.
When Charles Spencer's Diana memoir will be published
The book was scheduled for publication on 22 September through Penguin Michael Joseph in the UK and Penguin Press in the US and Canada. The publisher also announced translations into 12 languages, alongside hardcover, ebook and audiobook editions.
For Charles, completing the recording had brought a particular sense of certainty about the tribute he wanted to leave. "When I finished the recording, I thought: 'That is exactly what I wanted and needed to say — and she would, I reckon, have approved of every word,' " he wrote.
