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Gone quiet · last update Sep 28, 2026 / William, Prince of Wales

Charles Spencer's memoir about Diana and his feud with the palace

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

In September 2026 Charles Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, published "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," a memoir in which he claimed that after Diana's death in 1997 the future King Charles III told him, "we'll forget her soon enough."[1][2] The king issued a rare statement about the book,[3] and Spencer doubled down on his claim.[1]

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The king issued a rare statement about the book,[3] and Spencer doubled down on his claim.[1]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-09-14 (UTC): 5%, 23 of 480 tracked outlets (4 left, 16 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 5%, 26 of 479 tracked outlets (7 left, 16 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 476 tracked outlets (0 left, 1 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 8 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (3 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Sep 28, 20260123 of 4761%
Sep 21, 2026716326 of 4795%
Sep 14, 2026416323 of 4805%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Sep 28, 2026 · first reported · Headline from CBS News

    Princess Diana's brother says Buckingham Palace "has to gaslight" him

Background

Spencer also wrote that he argued with Charles over plans for Princes William and Harry to walk behind their mother's coffin.[2] Nearly 30 years after his eulogy pledging to protect her sons, he made the claims in a book that dominated British headlines,[4][5] drawing attacks from the broadcaster Piers Morgan,[5] while one critic said he put his own grievances at center stage.[6] He discussed the book on "CBS Mornings."[7]

Supporting stories (7)
  1. Princess Diana’s brother awkwardly shuts down questions about Prince Harry’s distance from royal family
  2. New book by Princess Diana's brother prompts war of words with King Charles III
  3. Buckingham Palace responds to Princess Diana's brother over claim about King Charles
  4. Who is Earl Spencer, the man at the center of the latest royal saga?
  5. Piers Morgan Wins Apology From Princess Diana’s Brother Over “Bulls***” Claim In Bombshell Memoir
  6. Princess Diana's brother makes explosive claims on royals in new memoir
  7. Princess Diana's brother says Buckingham Palace "has to gaslight" him

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 8 recorded updates

September 2026

  1. Princess Diana's brother says Buckingham Palace "has to gaslight" himHeadline from CBS News · 3 outlets
  2. 5 heartbreaking takeaways from Charles Spencer's book 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister'Headline from Bismarck Tribune · 1 outlet
  3. Piers Morgan Wins Apology From Princess Diana’s Brother Over “Bulls***” Claim In Bombshell MemoirHeadline from Deadline · 6 outlets
  4. Princess Diana's brother makes explosive claims on royals in new memoirHeadline from Deutsche Welle · 6 outlets
  5. New book by Princess Diana's brother prompts war of words with King Charles IIIHeadline from NBC Los Angeles · 18 outlets
  6. Who is Earl Spencer, the man at the center of the latest royal saga?Headline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 9 outlets
  7. Buckingham Palace responds to Princess Diana's brother over claim about King CharlesHeadline from Phl17 · 28 outlets
  8. Princess Diana’s brother awkwardly shuts down questions about Prince Harry’s distance from royal familyHeadline from New York Post · 6 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →