Charles said Diana would be forgotten 'soon enough', Earl Spencer claims in book
Earl Spencer's upcoming memoir claims King Charles said Diana would be forgotten 'soon enough' days after her death, a remark that, if true, adds a new layer to the long-contested aftermath of her funeral.
Written by Roundtablefrom 2 outlets' reporting
01What happened
Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, has claimed in his upcoming memoir that King Charles said 'we'll forget her soon enough' days after her death. According to the claim, the remark came after Spencer objected to Prince William and Prince Harry walking in Diana's funeral procession. The book, 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister', is due to be published next week. Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment. CNN and BBC News both report the claim.
The facts every outlet at this table agrees on.
02Every voice
One entry per outlet, in the order they should be read. Each links back to the reporting it was drawn from — check any of it.
CNN World
Read the original· edition.cnn.comHow they framed it
CNN focuses on the claim as a new book revelation, presenting it as a significant accusation by Diana's brother against King Charles, with minimal context about the funeral dispute.
In their words
Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, claims in a new book that King Charles III told him Diana would be forgotten 'soon enough' just days after her death.
BBC News
Read the original· bbc.co.ukHow they framed it
BBC News provides more context, including that the remark allegedly came after Spencer objected to the princes walking in the funeral procession, and notes that Spencer claims Charles questioned the Spencer family's sense of duty and subjected him to a 'stream of anger' over the phone. The BBC also notes the book is expected to be highly critical of the Royal Family and includes background on the funeral and Prince Harry's later comments.
In their words
Earl Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, has claimed King Charles said 'we'll forget her soon enough' days after her death... Earl Spencer alleged the remark came after he insisted to the King that Diana would not have wanted Prince William and Prince Harry, then aged 15 and 12, to have to walk in her funeral procession... He has claimed the then-Prince of Wales questioned the Spencer family's sense of duty and subjected him to a 'stream of anger' over the phone.
03Where they differ
CNN reports only the core claim that Charles said Diana would be forgotten 'soon enough', without the context of the funeral procession dispute. BBC News provides that context and adds details about the alleged phone call, including that Charles questioned the Spencer family's sense of duty and subjected Spencer to a 'stream of anger'. CNN's report is brief and does not mention the funeral procession, while BBC's report includes it and notes that the claim was published in the Daily Mail. Both outlets report the same core allegation but differ in the amount of detail and context they provide.
Described, not adjudicated. Roundtable does not tell you which account is right.
04Still open
- Will Buckingham Palace respond to the claim, and if so, what will it say?
- Has Earl Spencer's memoir been independently verified, or are these claims solely from his account?
- What was the full content of the alleged phone call between Charles and Spencer?
- How have Prince William and Prince Harry reacted to the claim?
