Earl Spencer announces tell-all memoir about Princess Diana
Earl Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, has announced a memoir titled 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister', set for September publication, promising to counter untruths about her life.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Earl Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, has announced he is publishing a memoir about her life, titled 'Swan Song: Diana, My Sister'. The book is scheduled for release on 22 September, ahead of the 30th anniversary of her death in 1997. In a statement, Spencer said he had been inundated with requests for interviews about Diana as the anniversary approached, and that he wanted to set down his own thoughts and memories rather than read the opinions of others, which he said are often based on untruths.
The publisher has described the book as 'extraordinarily moving, beautifully written and remarkably candid', and said it contains 'many revelations that will draw considerable attention'. Spencer said the aim of the book is 'to tell the truth about Diana from her brother's perspective, just as I attempted to do when speaking at her funeral'. His eulogy in 1997, in which he described Diana as 'the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty' and criticised the media for making her 'the most hunted person of the modern age', is widely remembered for its pointed reference to her 'blood family'.
The memoir is expected to cover Diana's unhappy marriage to the then Prince of Wales and the circumstances surrounding her death in Paris in 1997. It comes after Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare', published in 2023, sold more than six million copies and set a world record for the fastest-selling non-fiction book. Royal commentators have noted that Spencer's book could reignite scrutiny of the royal family's treatment of Diana, and that the palace may be bracing for further criticism. Some have also questioned Spencer's motives, suggesting he may be settling old scores, while others have pointed to his long-held anger over how his sister was treated.
The book's title, 'Swan Song', has been interpreted as a final statement on his sister's life. Spencer has said he hopes the book will be of interest to those who still cherish Diana's memory. The publication date places it just weeks before the 30th anniversary of her death, a timing that is likely to draw significant public attention.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | GB News | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| Earl Spencer has written a memoir about Princess Diana titled 'Swan Song'. | ||
| The memoir is intended to counter what the author describes as significant falsehoods about Princess Diana. | ||
| Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare' sold more than six million copies. | · | |
| The memoir is scheduled to be published in September. | · | |
| The publisher described the memoir as moving, beautifully written, and remarkably candid. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1's coverage focused on the factual announcement, including the book's title, publication date, and Spencer's stated motivation to counter untruths. The second segment highlighted the pointed nature of his 1997 eulogy and the potential for criticism of the royal family, but stayed largely neutral without heavy speculation about his personal motives.
- “Earl Spencer has said that with the 30th anniversary of the death of his sister princess diana fast approaching he's been inundated with requests for interviews about her that convinced him to write down his own thoughts and memories once and for all rather than having to read the opinions of others which he says are often based on untruths”
- “the publisher has called the book moving beautifully written and remarkably candid”
- “It's that comment, blood family, isn't it, that felt pointed then still feels pointed when we hear it again now.”
GB News focused on the potential damage to the royal family and the explosive nature of the memoir. The first segment featured royal biographer Tom Bower speculating on Spencer's motives, including anger at King Charles and a desire to settle scores, while the second segment compared the book to Prince Harry's 'Spare' and discussed the ongoing relevance of Diana's story. The tone was more dramatic and opinionated than ITV1's.
- “he's doing it because he just wants to set the record his record straight and also it is a fascinating story he's got a very special angle and he furious with king charles doesn't like william very pro harry awfully unhappy about the way his sister was treated”
- “if anything Earl Spencer is commercial i mean he is a person who actually writes for a living and actually enjoys his writing and undoubtedly he's being paid millions of pounds”
- “So if that's not a clangour to the royal family, I don't know what is, because we know the nature of that speech was not entirely favourable.”
Broadcast Timeline
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