Newscast

In the Newscast episode, the main discussion was Earl Spencer's BBC interview about his book on Princess Diana. He said writing it was his duty as an eyewitness to history and addressed claims made about the King. He rejected the perception that he was on Harry's side, saying he was on his deceased sister's son's side, both of them, and would be equally there if either wanted anything. He said tabloid articles about Diana or Harry and Meghan could be really unpleasant and that daily destruction must be a cancerous influence. He said Diana was very sensitive to criticism and was brought low by it, and that it was a pity to see echoes of that now. BBC senior royal correspondent Daniela Relph said there was evidence of closeness between Earl Spencer and Harry, and that he was probably right to say he was not in either camp, though he was closer to Harry. The discussion also covered open schisms in the royal family and the difficulty this posed for the King.

The interview also covered Earl Spencer's views on the monarchy. He praised the Norwegian system and spoke in favour of a modern monarchy, and he used the word flummery in relation to the current setup, according to the discussion. Daniela Relph said it was clear he and the King did not have a good relationship and that he might be looking to the next generation. The conversation noted that William and Kate have talked about a more streamlined, modern monarchy.

A specific claim discussed was Earl Spencer's account of a phone call from the then Prince Charles after Diana's death. He said he felt a giddy, light tone in the call and wrote that he suspected Charles thought more about how the event might free him to marry the woman he loved than about the loss of the one he did not. Daniela Relph said Buckingham Palace issued a statement, which she believed would have been approved by the King, and that it did not amount to a complete denial. She said the palace had been answering questions about the honesty and integrity of the King, which was damaging, but that the royal family were great survivors. Earl Spencer said he was done giving more information about Diana and described the book as his swan song.