Topic Lifecycle: Dormant
This topic is currently dormant in the news cycle. It was last covered on Saturday 26 September 2026 and has not appeared in recent broadcasts.
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BBC NEWS and Sky News reported claims by Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, about the Royal Family in a new book and related interviews ahead of publication. Both channels reported his claim that Charles, then Prince of Wales, said 'we'll forget her soon enough' after Diana's death. BBC NEWS said Buckingham Palace disputed the suggestion that Diana would be quickly forgotten. Both channels reported a Buckingham Palace statement from last week saying the King was mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise. Sky News reported that Earl Spencer said he hung up on Charles during a tense phone call after Diana's death, that he compared media treatment of Harry and Meghan to the treatment of Diana, and that he worried as an uncle about security for the fifth in line to the throne. BBC NEWS reported that Earl Spencer said his nephews William and Harry would not be surprised by the claims, that he wrote the book as a duty to history and to his sister, and that it would be his final word on the matter. BBC NEWS also reported that Prince Harry, no longer a working royal, had not read the book, that he would continue charity work later that day, and that senior royals were carrying on as usual. Sky News reported that Earl Spencer responded to the palace statement by saying he had been gaslit. BBC NEWS reported the book was due to be published the following day and that there had been no further comment from the King or his sons William and Harry.
Key Claims by Channel
Monday 29 June 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Princess of Wales completed the Three Peaks Challenge within 24 hours. | |||
| She climbed Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon. | |||
| The challenge was to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and marked the launch of a campaign for holistic cancer care. | |||
| She posted a video message explaining her reasons for the challenge. | |||
| She climbed solo with support from Mountain Rescue. | · | ||
| She is the first royal to complete the Three Peaks Challenge. | · | · | |
| The challenge involved 23 miles of trekking, a total ascent of more than 10,000 feet, and 462 miles of driving. | · | · | |
| She was diagnosed with cancer in early 2024. | · | ||
| She completed the challenge just a year after her cancer treatment. | · | · |
Tuesday 18 August 2026
| Claim | GB News | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| Earl Spencer announced a new book about Princess Diana titled 'Swan Song: Diana My Sister', scheduled for publication in September. | ||
| Spencer said he was inundated with interview requests ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana's death, which convinced him to write the book. | · | |
| Spencer said he wanted to tell the truth about Diana from her brother's perspective, as he attempted to do in his eulogy at her funeral. | ||
| The book will cover Diana's unhappy marriage and her death. | · | |
| The publisher described the book as moving, beautifully written, and remarkably candid. | · | |
| Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare' sold more than six million copies and holds the world record for the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time. | · | |
| GB News suggested the book could bring back questions about Diana's death, though it noted a public inquest had already taken place. | · |
Wednesday 19 August 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Camilla spoke publicly for the first time about the pressure of keeping the King's cancer diagnosis secret, describing an emotional visit to a Maggie's cancer support centre days before the announcement. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The King is still receiving cancer treatment and is said to be progressing positively. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Chief Executive of Maggie's praised the King and Queen for speaking out and noted a 12% increase in men visiting centres. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The King and Princess of Wales both had cancer diagnoses and wanted to raise awareness. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry and Meghan's children have been enrolled in a UK school. | · | · | · | ||||
| The family will move to a home outside London, not a royal residence. | · | · | · | · | |||
| The family will remain non-working members of the royal family. | · | · | · | · | |||
| The King was informed of the plans on Sunday and welcomed the opportunity to see the family privately. | · | · | |||||
| Prince Harry previously said he would not feel safe bringing his family back without police protection. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry appears to be fractured. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The BBC confirmed the story with two senior royal sources. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry's life in the US has not been an overwhelming success, and he may return to strengthen his Invictus Games work. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The family will keep their homes in California and Portugal. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Sussexes' US media deals, including Netflix and Spotify, have not worked out as expected. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry's recent court losses may have influenced the decision. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Prime Minister stated that the security arrangements for Prince Harry and Meghan are a private matter. | · | · | · | · | · |
Thursday 20 August 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry and Meghan's children have been enrolled in a UK school. | · | |||||||
| The family will move to a home outside London, not a royal residence. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| The family will remain non-working members of the royal family. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| The King was informed of the plans on Sunday and welcomed the opportunity to see the family privately. | ||||||||
| The relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry appears to be fractured. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| The BBC confirmed the story with two senior royal sources. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Security arrangements remain unresolved. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| The family will keep their homes in California and Portugal. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The family's July visit to the UK, including time with the King, influenced the decision to return. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Prince Harry lost a legal case last year in an attempt to increase his security level. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| Prince Harry's recent court case with the Mail ended with a verdict that was a crushing blow to him. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Sussexes' US media deals, including Netflix and Spotify, have not worked out as expected. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The King's cancer diagnosis played a role in Harry's desire to spend more time in the UK. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry's recent court losses may have influenced the decision. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Prime Minister stated that the security arrangements for Prince Harry and Meghan are a private matter. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| The couple's security arrangements may be reconsidered by Ravec. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A YouGov poll showed only 21% of Britons wanted Harry and Meghan to return. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Private security firms in the UK cannot carry firearms. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The couple may face a financial hit from legal costs. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry's net approval rating is minus 13. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Sun reported a royal summit at Balmoral. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Friday 21 August 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry and Meghan's children have been enrolled in a UK school. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The family will move to a home outside London, not a royal residence. | · | · | ||||||
| The family will remain non-working members of the royal family. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| The King was informed of the plans on Sunday and welcomed the opportunity to see the family privately. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| The relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry appears to be fractured. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Security arrangements remain unresolved. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The family's July visit to the UK, including time with the King, influenced the decision to return. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry lost a legal case last year in an attempt to increase his security level. | · | · | · | |||||
| The Prime Minister stated that the security arrangements for Prince Harry and Meghan are a private matter. | · | · | · | |||||
| Prince Harry will have to appear in court to determine legal costs after losing a phone hacking case. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A YouGov poll showed only 21% of Britons wanted Harry and Meghan to return. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Meghan has been offered an acting role in the UK according to some media reports. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Harry was in Washington DC at a veterans event when the news broke. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Private security firms in the UK cannot carry firearms. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The couple may face a financial hit from legal costs. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry's net approval rating is minus 13. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry and six co-claimants lost a High Court privacy case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, with claims dismissed on 7 July. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The Daily Mail's total legal costs were £34 million, with insurance covering approximately £16 million and leaving £18 million to be paid. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The court ordered an initial payment of £9.5 million, after the Daily Mail demanded £10 million and the claimants offered £8 million. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Associated Newspapers described the ruling as a devastating critique of an attempt to destroy a newspaper. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Sussexes' plan to move back to Britain was revealed on a Wednesday night. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A former police chief said security costs for the Sussexes' return could cost millions. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Wednesday 26 August 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | GB News | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security arrangements remain unresolved. | · | · | · | · | |
| RAVED conducted a complete reassessment of Prince Harry's security a month ago. | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry, Meghan, and their children returned to the UK, landing at Birmingham Airport without police protection. | · | ||||
| The children have been enrolled in new schools for the upcoming term. | · | · | · | ||
| The family will base themselves at a private property in the Cotswolds. | · | · | · | ||
| The couple could face a combined legal bill of £35 million from a recent court case. | · | · | · | · | |
| The couple will remain non-working royals. | · | · | · | ||
| This is their first time living in the UK since stepping back from royal duties in 2020. | · | · | · | ||
| Security provisions and who will pay for them are unclear. | · | · | · | · | |
| Meghan is considering returning to acting and expanding her As Ever lifestyle brand. | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry will continue his charity work. | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry said 15 months ago he did not foresee bringing his wife and children back to Britain. | · | · | · | · |
Monday 7 September 2026
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The King wrote a letter to government and military organizations clarifying the status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. | · | · | · | ||
| The letter states there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. | |||||
| The letter describes the Sussexes' charitable work as a personal matter undertaken in a private capacity. | · | · | · | ||
| The letter says any activities involving public funds should be directed to Buckingham Palace. | · | · | · | · | |
| The letter says security provision for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remains a matter for the relevant police authority. | · | · | · | ||
| Buckingham Palace publicly released the letter. | · | · | · | ||
| The letter was written by the Lord Chamberlain. | · | · | · | · | |
| Security decisions should be based on threat and risk, not on working status. | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry is currently protected by a private security firm. | · | · | · | · | |
| Ravec and the Risk Management Board are responsible for assessing threats to principals. | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry was photographed in Britain for the first time since his return, at Tower Bridge Studios. | · | · | · | · |
Tuesday 8 September 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC TWO Politics Live | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The letter states there is no change to the current status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. | · | · | · | ||||
| Buckingham Palace publicly released the letter. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Security decisions should be based on threat and risk, not on working status. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Ravec and the Risk Management Board are responsible for assessing threats to principals. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry was photographed in Britain for the first time since his return, at Tower Bridge Studios. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince George started at Eton College, arriving with his parents and meeting the head teacher and provost. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Media access to Prince George at Eton will be limited and managed, with the royal family prioritising his privacy. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The King's letter was sent to government and military organisations. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's spokesperson said they were surprised by the letter and had not been made aware of it before it was made public. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Buckingham Palace had said the previous day that Harry and Meghan were made aware of the letter before publication. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A 41-gun salute took place at Hyde Park to mark the fourth anniversary of the King's accession. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The date also marks the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| An independent security committee is expected to meet this week to consider taxpayer funding for Harry and Meghan's security. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry and Meghan will make public appearances throughout the autumn. | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Friday 11 September 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | GB News |
|---|---|---|
| The Princess of Wales made a private visit to the Royal Marsden hospital, where she met staff and patients. | ||
| The Princess of Wales had preventative chemotherapy two years ago. | · | |
| The Princess of Wales announced she was in remission last January. | · | |
| The Princess of Wales completed the Three Peaks Challenge in the summer to raise money for the hospital. | ||
| The amount raised from the Three Peaks Challenge has not been disclosed. | · | |
| Prince Harry has returned to the UK and kept a low profile, with public engagements planned. | · | |
| The King made clear that Harry and Meghan will not return as working royals. | · | |
| The Ugandan army team pulled out of the Invictus Games, citing the King's message. | · | |
| A dress worn by Princess Diana in 1994, known as the 'revenge dress', is to be auctioned by Sotheby's in December. | · | |
| The dress is expected to raise around 200,000 pounds. | · | |
| The idea to auction Diana's dresses came from a 12-year-old Prince William. | · | |
| Diana's mother became a republican after feeling let down. | · | |
| Prince Harry thinks the royals need him back. | · | |
| A presenter believes the royal family does not need Harry. | · |
Sunday 13 September 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC Two | GB News | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| An independent security committee is expected to meet this week to consider taxpayer funding for Harry and Meghan's security. | · | · | ||
| The Duchess of Sussex shared snippets of family outings in the UK. | · | · | · | |
| The Duke and Duchess and their children moved back to the UK just over a fortnight ago. | · | · | · | |
| The royal household's letter described Harry and Meghan as private citizens and non-working royals. | · | · | ||
| Harry and Meghan's team pushed back against the description, arguing they are public figures. | · | · | · | |
| Harry is a UK prince and served military tours in Afghanistan. | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry currently has only a police liaison officer's phone number for security. | · | · | · | |
| RAVEC wrote to Prince Harry to request a full reassessment of his security. | · | · | · | |
| Meghan will have her own security reassessment. | · | · | · |
Tuesday 15 September 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| An independent security committee is expected to meet this week to consider taxpayer funding for Harry and Meghan's security. | |||||||
| Harry and Meghan will make public appearances throughout the autumn. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The royal household's letter described Harry and Meghan as private citizens and non-working royals. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Prince Harry currently has only a police liaison officer's phone number for security. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Meghan will have her own security reassessment. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry previously lost legal challenges over his security when visiting from the US. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The security review was prompted by Prince Harry now living in the UK with his family. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The Sussex children were withdrawn from their new school after two days because of security concerns. | · | ||||||
| An incident occurred involving the Sussexes' convoy during the school run. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry is reported to have said he killed 25 Taliban fighters. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The children had a taster session at another school closer to home and started there on the broadcast day. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry's birthday was on the broadcast day. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A security review is underway and the couple still do not have state security. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Sussexes have been back in Britain less than a month, having moved from California last Thursday. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Prince Harry has his first public engagement later this week. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Four copies of a book were stolen from a truck packed with thousands. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer previously sued the Daily Mail for libel in 2018 and was awarded damages. | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Wednesday 16 September 2026
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four copies of a book were stolen from a truck packed with thousands. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer previously sued the Daily Mail for libel in 2018 and was awarded damages. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book, titled Swan Song, is being serialised in the Daily Mail. | · | · | · | |||
| Buckingham Palace responded that grief can cloud a person's memory. | · | |||||
| The memoir 'Swan Song Diana my Sister' contains an allegation. | · | · | ||||
| Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying it does not comment on books as a matter of principle, but that the King is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory. | · | · | · | |||
| Broadcasters gave the memoir's title as 'Swansong' (BBC) or 'Swan Song: Diana my Sister' (GB News). | · | · | · | · | ||
| The memoir is scheduled for release next week. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Sky News reported that Princes William and Harry were aged 15 and 12 at the time of the alleged comment. | · | · | · | · | · |
Thursday 17 September 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC NEWS Verified Live | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four copies of a book were stolen from a truck packed with thousands. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer previously sued the Daily Mail for libel in 2018 and was awarded damages. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book, titled Swan Song, is being serialised in the Daily Mail. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Buckingham Palace responded that grief can cloud a person's memory. | |||||||||
| The memoir 'Swan Song Diana my Sister' contains an allegation. | · | · | · | · | |||||
| The relationship between the royal family and the Spencers has never recovered since Diana's funeral. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry and Meghan's return to the UK coincided with the royal row, increasing pressure on the palace. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer alleged that Prince Charles said Diana would be forgotten soon enough. | · | · | · | ||||||
| Earl Spencer's book is due out next week. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A former worker for Charles and Diana disputed Earl Spencer's account. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Royal commentators disputed Spencer's account. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A 1999 CNN clip showed Earl Spencer saying Charles had been polite and said nothing nasty. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Dickie Arbiter said Prince Charles was devastated after Diana's death. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Palace officials were furious about the first extract and considered its timing unconscionable. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry made his first public appearance in the UK and was asked about Earl Spencer's book. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare' gives a different account of his father's demeanour after Diana's death. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book serialisation will continue for days and the palace may not respond further. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A guest who worked with Earl Spencer said he is not motivated by money. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry and Meghan stayed at Althorp over the summer holiday, showing closeness with Earl Spencer. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book suggests Queen Elizabeth considered restoring Diana's HRH title. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Friday 18 September 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Palace responded that grief can cloud a person's memory. | ||||||||
| The relationship between the royal family and the Spencers has never recovered since Diana's funeral. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer alleged that Prince Charles said Diana would be forgotten soon enough. | · | · | ||||||
| A former worker for Charles and Diana disputed Earl Spencer's account. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the claims. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| A 1999 CNN clip showed Earl Spencer saying Charles had been polite and said nothing nasty. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Tom Bower claimed Earl Spencer had teamed up with Prince Harry and Meghan. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Dickie Arbiter said Prince Charles was devastated after Diana's death. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Earl Spencer's account was described as speculation about Charles's thoughts. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book claims Prince Charles told Diana before their wedding that he was not in love with her. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Earl Spencer's book claims Diana told him that Prince Charles was in love with his valet. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book suggests King Charles's first reaction to Diana's death focused on his future with Camilla Parker Bowles. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Palace officials were furious about the first extract and considered its timing unconscionable. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Prince Harry made his first public appearance in the UK and was asked about Earl Spencer's book. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare' gives a different account of his father's demeanour after Diana's death. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| King Charles attended an AI summit in Scotland, and the Prince and Princess of Wales carried out engagements on the Isle of Bute. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Earl Spencer's book is due to be published next week. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The book is being serialised in the Daily Mail newspaper. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book serialisation will continue for days and the palace may not respond further. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A guest who worked with Earl Spencer said he is not motivated by money. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince Harry and Meghan stayed at Althorp over the summer holiday, showing closeness with Earl Spencer. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book suggests Queen Elizabeth considered restoring Diana's HRH title. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Diana lost her HRH title when she divorced Prince Charles. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer gave an interview to the BBC maintaining his account was truthful. | · | · | · | |||||
| Earl Spencer's book claims the late Queen asked what Diana was up to when first told of her accident. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book claims Prince Harry was left to spin out of control after the funeral due to a lack of care. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Earl Spencer claimed Charles 'went ballistic' during a row. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The row cast a shadow over the King's AI summit. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A historian said it was 'tragically predictable'. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry was not fully prepared for the fallout. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer suggested the King is embarrassed. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Sky noted no palace response to Harry's memoir Spare. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Claims about the Diana story dominated front pages. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A question was raised about whether Spencer is telling the truth. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A panellist said it was unfair on Charles because the claim could not be disproved. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Panellist Shami Chakrabarti said she felt embarrassed intruding. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Saturday 19 September 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Palace responded that grief can cloud a person's memory. | ||||||||
| The relationship between the royal family and the Spencers has never recovered since Diana's funeral. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer alleged that Prince Charles said Diana would be forgotten soon enough. | · | |||||||
| Earl Spencer's book is due out next week. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| A former worker for Charles and Diana disputed Earl Spencer's account. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the claims. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| A 1999 CNN clip showed Earl Spencer saying Charles had been polite and said nothing nasty. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Tom Bower claimed Earl Spencer had teamed up with Prince Harry and Meghan. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Dickie Arbiter said Prince Charles was devastated after Diana's death. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Earl Spencer's book claims Diana told him that Prince Charles was in love with his valet. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Palace officials were furious about the first extract and considered its timing unconscionable. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Prince Harry made his first public appearance in the UK and was asked about Earl Spencer's book. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare' gives a different account of his father's demeanour after Diana's death. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book suggests Queen Elizabeth considered restoring Diana's HRH title. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer gave an interview to the BBC maintaining his account was truthful. | · | · | · | |||||
| Earl Spencer's book claims the late Queen asked what Diana was up to when first told of her accident. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book claims Prince Philip insisted Spencer walk between William and Harry at Diana's funeral, with Prince Charles giving in. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book claims Prince Harry was left to spin out of control after the funeral due to a lack of care. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Earl Spencer claimed Charles 'went ballistic' during a row. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| The row cast a shadow over the King's AI summit. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A historian said it was 'tragically predictable'. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry was not fully prepared for the fallout. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer suggested the King is embarrassed. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Sky noted no palace response to Harry's memoir Spare. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Claims about the Diana story dominated front pages. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A question was raised about whether Spencer is telling the truth. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| A panellist said it was unfair on Charles because the claim could not be disproved. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Panellist Shami Chakrabarti said she felt embarrassed intruding. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said the media treatment of Prince Harry and Meghan echoes that of Princess Diana. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Gyles Brandreth said he was surprised Earl Spencer wrote a book that reopens Diana's death. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Diana's former protection officer said he could not see Diana driving to Beachy Head to contemplate suicide. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A former protection officer for Charles said he never believed the Prince capable of such a comment. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Dickie Arbiter said Prince Philip suggested the two princes walk behind their mother's coffin. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Sunday 20 September 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Palace responded that grief can cloud a person's memory. | · | · | ||||||
| Earl Spencer alleged that Prince Charles said Diana would be forgotten soon enough. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the claims. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A 1999 CNN clip showed Earl Spencer saying Charles had been polite and said nothing nasty. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Tom Bower claimed Earl Spencer had teamed up with Prince Harry and Meghan. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A guest who worked with Earl Spencer said he is not motivated by money. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A question was raised about whether Spencer is telling the truth. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said the media treatment of Prince Harry and Meghan echoes that of Princess Diana. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Earl Spencer said he was not speaking for Harry and Meghan but urged people to learn from Diana's example. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The book is due to be published on Tuesday. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Prince William's side has chosen not to comment on the matter. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said he was gaslit by the palace or the King. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The Sunday Times reported that allies of the palace called Spencer a hypocrite. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said he would support both his nephews equally. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Diana's former protection officer said he could not see Diana driving to Beachy Head to contemplate suicide. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A former protection officer for Charles said he never believed the Prince capable of such a comment. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Dickie Arbiter said Prince Philip suggested the two princes walk behind their mother's coffin. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Monday 21 September 2026
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Palace responded that grief can cloud a person's memory. | · | |||||||
| Earl Spencer alleged that Prince Charles said Diana would be forgotten soon enough. | · | |||||||
| Earl Spencer gave an interview to the BBC maintaining his account was truthful. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book claims Prince Harry was left to spin out of control after the funeral due to a lack of care. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer claimed Charles 'went ballistic' during a row. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said the media treatment of Prince Harry and Meghan echoes that of Princess Diana. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Earl Spencer said he was gaslit by the palace or the King. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| A former protection officer for Charles said he never believed the Prince capable of such a comment. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said his nephews would not be surprised by the claims. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said he wrote the book because it was his duty as an eyewitness to history and to his sister. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said it would be his final word on the matter and that he would step away and not be available for comment. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said he knew many things about the King that were not in the book. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer said he was concerned as an uncle that the fifth in line to the throne lacked police protection. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| It was understood that the Duke of Sussex had not read Earl Spencer's book. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Duke of Sussex was due to continue charity work later that day as he settled back into life in the UK. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| Senior royals carried on as usual, with the Queen attending a literary festival that weekend. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer's book was due to be published the following day. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| There was no further comment from the King or his sons William and Harry. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, promoted a new book and interviews containing allegations about the Royal Family. | · | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| It was reported that Earl Spencer's motives were questioned and that he would make millions from selling his version of Diana's story. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| A BBC News guest, Robert Hardman, said the book's portrayal of King Charles did not match the King Charles he knew, a view he said others shared. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Harry did not respond when asked whether he had spoken to his uncle. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Earl Spencer described family rifts as sad and hoped Harry and William would reconcile. | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.
Timeline
Where this topic appeared. Cells show coverage time and are darker when there was more coverage.
| Date | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 26 September 2026 | — | 9m 53s 8.0% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thursday 24 September 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 5m 49s 7.8% | — | — |
| Wednesday 23 September 2026 | 19s 0.9% | — | — | — | — | — | 2m 47s 2.3% | — |
| Tuesday 22 September 2026 | 4m 14s 11.1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4m 27s 3.6% |
| Monday 21 September 2026 | — | 20m 22s 17.1% | — | 4m 52s 6.9% | — | — | 3m 15s 3.9% | 7m 12s 7.5% |
| Sunday 20 September 2026 | 29s 22.7% | 17m 24s 15.0% | 23m 40s 24.5% | — | — | — | 5m 38s 25.6% | 15m 22s 15.9% |
| Saturday 19 September 2026 | — | 21m 46s 18.8% | 6m 6s 18.5% | — | — | — | — | 8m 20s 8.7% |
| Friday 18 September 2026 | 31s 2.1% | 16m 58s 14.4% | 11m 34s 11.9% | — | 4m 16s 8.3% | 9m 24s 14.9% | 10m 14s 12.4% | 17m 22s 17.1% |
| Thursday 17 September 2026 | 7m 5s 25.4% | 31m 57s 28.7% | 14m 24s 9.5% | 10m 24s 15.1% | 24s 0.9% | 43m 31s 59.2% | 20m 20s 24.3% | 22m 19s 21.9% |
| Wednesday 16 September 2026 | — | — | 1m 40s 1.6% | 8m 11.8% | — | 18m 14s 22.4% | — | 8m 31s 8.8% |
| Tuesday 15 September 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 2m 49s 4.0% | 3m 20s 5.3% | 2m 24s 2.5% |
| Monday 14 September 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 6m 51s 9.2% | — | — |
| Sunday 13 September 2026 | 28s 21.2% | — | — | — | — | 6m 56s 20.9% | — | — |
| Friday 11 September 2026 | 3m 8s 8.1% | — | — | — | — | 1m 16s 2.7% | — | — |
| Thursday 10 September 2026 | — | — | 6m 29s 6.6% | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tuesday 8 September 2026 | 5m 11s 17.5% | 6m 17s 5.9% | 5m 46s 6.6% | 5m 51s 8.2% | — | 10m 55s 13.2% | 5m 39s 6.6% | 7m 20s 6.9% |
| Monday 7 September 2026 | — | 4m 21s 4.6% | 1m 32s 1.4% | — | — | 16m 22s 21.4% | 4m 1s 4.5% | — |
| Sunday 6 September 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1m 36s 1.8% |
| Thursday 3 September 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 1m 52s 2.4% | — | — |
| Wednesday 2 September 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 9m 54s 14.5% | — | — |
| Sunday 30 August 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 7m 58s 25.7% | — | — |
| Saturday 29 August 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3m 56s 3.8% |
| Wednesday 26 August 2026 | — | — | 4m 16s 5.1% | — | — | — | 1m 22s 1.6% | — |
| Saturday 22 August 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3m 6s 3.3% |
| Friday 21 August 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 1m 27s 1.8% | 2m 53s 3.7% | — |
| Thursday 20 August 2026 | — | 13m 50s 15.1% | — | 29m 19s 100.0% | — | 53m 59.2% | 16m 47s 20.9% | 7m 27s 8.1% |
| Wednesday 19 August 2026 | 3m 29s 9.6% | 12m 31s 10.7% | 1m 13s 1.5% | — | — | — | 7m 9s 9.3% | 7m 39s 6.3% |
| Tuesday 18 August 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 6m 2s 8.8% | 1m 54s 2.9% | — |
| Saturday 1 August 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23s 0.5% |
| Wednesday 29 July 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2m 12s 5.0% |
| Wednesday 22 July 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15s 0.5% |
| Saturday 11 July 2026 | 16s 11.9% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thursday 9 July 2026 | — | — | 2m 56s 3.0% | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tuesday 30 June 2026 | — | — | 5m 23s 6.3% | — | — | — | — | — |
| Monday 29 June 2026 | 3m 55s 11.6% | — | 2m 32s 2.7% | — | — | — | 2m 48s 6.3% | — |