The tragic story of Princess Diana is one that’s been told and retold time and again, most recently with The Crown's handling of the Princess of Wales and Kristen Stewart playing the late figure. Now, Princess Diana’s own brother Charles Spencer has written a book about her called Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. But why now, nearly 30 years after her shocking death?
Spencer’s book just hit shelves earlier this week, and it has already reignited some British royal family drama from past years. Speaking with CBS News, the 9th Earl Spencer shared his logical explanation for deciding to share his take on Princess Diana’s life. In his words:
With the 30th anniversary of her death coming up next year, I was getting inundated with requests to be in somebody else's book or documentary. And it suddenly occurred to me, well, if you're all so interested in hearing from me, I might just give you the definitive story.
The Princess of Wales died on August 31 of 1997 in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France with her partner Dodi Fayed and chauffeur Henri Paul. As Spencer noted, the big anniversary on the horizon sparked a lot of requests for him to talk about his sister – so rather than being held to anyone else's standards, he figured, why not tell it himself. (Rumor has it Prince Harry was one of those inquiring.)
The Spencer family had ties to the British Royal Family for generations even before the union between Charles III and Diana. After a process of courting, the pair got engaged back in 1981 and were married on July 29 of that year in one of the most celebrated ceremonies of the modern era, and they went on to birth and raise Princes William and Henry. Five years into their marriage, they started facing issues, with both straying and having affairs outside of their relationship. Following years of scandal, they finalized their divorce in 1996, just over a year before her death.
Her life spread beyond just the royal family, as she was also big into charity and raising awareness for various causes. But that's not necessarily the side of her everyone paid attention to. Spencer also said this of the late Princess of Wales:
I think people who picked at her and found fault with her did so without a true appreciation of the unique force that she was. I think a lot of people in the British establishment didn't know what to do with this totally rogue but brilliant force. And there were a lot of attempts during her time on the public stage where they tried to suppress her. Diana would call them the 'men in gray suits' – people working for the royal family in particular.
In Swan Song, Charles Spencer makes a lot of claims about his late sister and King Charles. The book has already led the Buckingham Palace to put out a statement that said “His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise.”
Spencer called the king a “bellowing buffoon” and claimed that King Charles sounded like a “lottery winner” when he heard about his wife’s death. He also alleged that in a conversation they had shortly after Diana’s death, he spat the words “we’ll forget her soon enough” of his wife.
As Swan Song gives the public an additional perspective on Princess Diana’s life and death, it’s also clear that pop culture is still interested in the late figure. SNL just recently revived its impression of her, and Ryan Murphy has shown interest in doing his own take on her life story. You can check out Swan Song: My Sister, Diana yourself now.
