A heated exchange between King Charles and Earl Charles Spencer in the aftermath of Princess Diana's death has been revealed in an upcoming royal memoir.
Writing in his explosive new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, the late Princess of Wales' brother recalled a tense phone conversation with the then-Prince Charles about Princess Diana's funeral arrangements, during which the furious royal allegedly told his brother-in-law, "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough."
© Tim GrahamIn one of the book's most shocking passages, which has been published by the Daily Mail, Earl Spencer wrote: "Prince Charles continued his stream of anger, without me interrupting. Then he stopped.
"I assumed the pause signalled an effort to bring himself under control, but then he 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.'Rest assured,' he hissed, 'we'll forget her soon enough!'"
The alleged argument followed the decision that Prince William and Prince Harry would walk in their mother's funeral procession, which Charles Spencer disagreed with.
© Instagram / @charles.earl.spencerEarl Spencer claims to have written the book to correct long-standing "untruths"surrounding his late older sister and to expose the secret tensions behind palace walls.
The memoir is also set to include a series of bombshell claims about Diana’s ill-fated marriage to Charles and what really happened following her tragic death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
Charles Spencer's explosive new memoir set to rock the royal family
Set to hit shelves on Tuesday next week, the book offers an intimate look at Earl Spencer's relationship with his sister, the breakdown of her marriage, and the aftermath of her tragic 1997 death, coinciding with the upcoming 30th anniversary of her passing next year.
© GettySpeaking about his decision to publish the memoir, Earl Spencer stated: "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."
"As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana's behalf and do so in an openly positive way. 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."
Earlier today, it was revealed that copies of the highly anticipated new memoir had been stolen from a delivery vehicle in the Netherlands just days before its worldwide release.
© Stuart McClymontAccording to the Daily Mail, a lorry carrying copies of Swan Song: Diana, My Sister left a central European printing facility on Monday, bound for a distribution warehouse in the Netherlands.
During an overnight stop in the Dutch countryside, the vehicle was broken into. Mysteriously, the thieves made off with only a handful of wrapped copies of the book. Dutch authorities are currently investigating the theft.
King Charles' failed marriage to Princess Diana
Charles and Diana's ill-fated romance attracted worldwide fascination, from their whirlwind engagement to their highly public divorce and accusations of infidelity.
Their ill-fated love story began in 1977 when Charles met Lady Diana Spencer at her family's Althorp estate; he was dating her elder sister, Lady Sarah, at the time.
© Photo: Getty ImagesAfter just 13 dates, Charles proposed over a private dinner at Buckingham Palace. Their official engagement announcement came in February 1981, when Diana famously debuted her iconic sapphire engagement ring, which was famously passed down to Princess Kate.
The couple wed with the eyes of the world upon them in a spectacular ceremony on July 29, 1981, at St Paul's Cathedral. Dubbed the "wedding of the century," some 750 million viewers tuned in to see them exchange vows.
However, it wasn't long until cracks in the relationship began to form behind closed doors. Despite welcoming Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984, the couple struggled, and by the early 1990s, media scrutiny surrounding their personal incompatibilities intensified.
In December 1992, Prime Minister John Major officially announced the couple's separation. The marriage breakdown escalated into a bitter media feud and admissions of infidelity from both sides, including Diana's famous 1995 declaration that "there were three of us in this marriage."
After the Queen recommended they divorce, Diana released a statement announcing their decision in 1995. "The Princess of Wales has agreed to Prince Charles' request for a divorce," it read.
© Tim Graham Photo Library via Get"The princess will continue to be involved in all decisions relating to the children and will remain at Kensington Palace with offices in St. James's Place. The Princess of Wales will retain the title and be known as Diana, Princess of Wales."
Their 15-year marriage officially ended in divorce in August 1996, just one year before Diana's tragic death in Paris.
Despite the breakdown of her marriage, Diana "never" wanted to be divorced, royal author Ingrid Seward said during a special recording of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast.
"She always said, 'I never, ever, ever want to get divorced'. One of her nannies, Mary Clarke, wrote a book and she told her that she never wanted to get divorced. Even to the last moment, Diana never wanted that divorce," the royal expert said.
Tickets are selling fast for our upcoming A Right Royal Podcast recording on 23 September. The episode will be recorded live in central London so if you want to be in the room with our podcast hosts Emily Nash, Andrea Caamano, and Emmy Griffiths, and our guest author Ingrid Seward, book your tickets now.
Ingrid will be showcasing her new book, Catherine & Diana, which you'll be able to see before it officially hits stores. Our royal experts will share unheard anecdotes about the two Princesses of Wales. Ingrid personally knew the late Diana, while our Royal Editor Emily has shadowed and covered Princess Kate's transformation from shy royal girlfriend to confident Queen-in-the-making.
It promises to be a truly special occasion, and you can secure your place now by clicking the button below... Plus you'll go home with a luxury goodie bag!
