Prince Harry asked uncle Charles Spencer 'Will I be embarrassed?' ahead of tell-all book

Prince Harry and his uncle, Earl Charles Spencer, share a close bond, with the Duke even spending time on his uncle's estate over the summer.

Earl Spencer invited his nephew, along with his wife, Meghan Markle and their children, Archie and Lilibet to Althorp, but while they were there, he was keeping a secret from his family.

In an interview with CBS on Tuesday morning, the Earl revealed that he didn't inform his nephew that he was soon to release a book about Princess Diana.

© WPA Pool

"I decided not to have anyone involved in the book, so nobody knew about it except my wife and the publishers," Earl Spencer began. "I didn't tell any of the family until just before it was released publicly, because I didn't want anyone to think, particularly with Harry, who people know I had to stay in the summer, that he was in any way involved in this."

The book, which includes claims about King Charles' reaction to the death of Princess Diana, has caused quite a stir, and CBS' Gayle King asked Earl Spencer if Princes William and Harry approved of the book, now that they know it exists.

"I don't know about. I haven't asked about approval," Charles began, before adding that Prince Harry had concerns about it. "Harry was sort of like, 'Is there anything in there that would be embarrassing to me?' I said, 'Absolutely not.' You know, I'm very specific about people's privacy."

© POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The reception to Earl Spencer's book

The book has been well received by readers, with the deeply personal account of the late Princess of Wales' life told from her brother's perspective becoming the UK's bestselling hardback non-fiction book in 2026, having sold 102,668 copies.

The reception from the royals has been less positive.

© Getty Images for Invictus Games

King Charles quickly shot down his former brother-in-law's claims in the book, via a statement from the palace, which read: "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss."

Earl Spencer shot back once more on CBS, telling host Gayle King: "They [the palace] have to sort of pretend there’s something wrong with my mind or my memory. There’s nothing wrong with either."

We suspect this is a debate that will run on.