Copies of a new memoir about Princess Diana, by her brother, Earl Spencer, have been stolen ahead of its publication.
According to the Daily Mail, copies of Swan Song: Diana, My Sister were burgled from the back of a lorry in the Netherlands.
The publication said that a lorry with the books left a printing plant in central Europe on Monday on its way to a warehouse in the Netherlands before copies were distributed to Dutch bookshops.
At some point that evening the driver parked in a lay-by deep in the Dutch countryside to sleep. At around 8am he found the lorry had been broken into but, mysteriously, only a handful of wrapped copies of Swan Song were missing. Dutch police are investigating the mysterious break-in.
Swan Song is set to be published worldwide on Tuesday. The memoir is reported to cover Earl Spencer's relationship with his older sibling, details of her failed marriage and the fallout from her tragic death in 1997.
The publication of the book is set to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Diana's death next year.
What has Earl Spencer said about the book?
Of the new book, Charles said: "With the 30th anniversary of Diana’s tragic death on the skyline, I've been inundated yet again with requests for interviews about my sister. 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."
Charles also said that the aim of the book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother's perspective, as he attempted to do at her funeral nearly 30 years ago.
© Princess Diana Archive"As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana's behalf and do so in an openly positive way."
Charles concluded: "I hope this book will be of interest to the many who still cherish the memory of Diana when she was alive, and I would be delighted if those too young to remember her in her heyday feel – after reading this – that they 'get’ who she really was: a one-off, dynamic character, full of love, charisma and self-doubt, who gave life a hell of a go, and left the world a far better place, despite exiting the stage while still so young."
Is Prince Harry planning a Princess Diana film?
While the exact reasons for Prince Harry's return to the UK are still unknown, one theory is that he is planning to film a film about his late mother.
Initial reports of the alleged project came from Richard Kay, Senior Editor-at-large at the Daily Mail, who said on the publication's podcast, Palace Confidential: "I am told that one of the reasons Harry's here is to make a television film, his own film, about his mother.
© WireImageRichard added: "I know he has been reaching out to his friends and others who knew her, asking them to contribute. That's going to occupy a lot of his headspace over the next 12 months."
These reports were seemingly confirmed by Queen Elizabeth's former chef, Darren McGrady.
Darren revealed that there "was a film crew" at the Althorp Estate, where Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, lives, and where Harry and Meghan stayed with Archie and Lilibet on their summer visit to the UK earlier this year.
"Oh, I did wonder if that’s why the film crew were there when I visited Althorp earlier this week. #princessdiana," the former royal chef penned alongside a screenshot of the story revealing Harry's alleged plans.
