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Britain17 September, 20262 min read

Charles Spencer Accuses Buckingham Palace Of Gaslighting After Memoir Pushback

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Earl Spencer claims Charles said 'we'll forget her soon enough' after Diana's death. Buckingham Palace issued a rarely forceful denial challenging Spencer's account.

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Charles Spencer Accuses Buckingham Palace Of Gaslighting After Memoir Pushback
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Spencer vs Palace

Charles Spencer accused Buckingham Palace of "gaslighting" him after the palace pushed back on claims he makes in his memoir about Princess Diana. Charles Spencer said he was "gaslit by the King" and told the Mail on Sunday that the palace response was "astonishingly provocative and below the belt".

Buckingham Palace replied that "fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognize". Charles Spencer told the BBC that he was "telling the truth" and said he did not hear the king saying he did not say the alleged words.

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Image: ABC News
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The alleged phone remark

Charles Spencer alleged that King Charles told him, "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough," after Diana's brother objected to her sons walking behind her coffin. Charles Spencer told the BBC that Prince Charles went "ballistic" and ranted for a while before he said "We'll forget her [Diana] soon enough".

Buckingham Palace said it was mindful that "the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory" even many years after such a loss. Charles Spencer said he hung up on the king after a stunned silence and told the BBC he could not believe the remark.

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Image: ABC News
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What comes next

Charles Spencer said his memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," was his "duty...as an eyewitness to history" and that he wanted "to put things down once and for all that were true". Buckingham Palace said it would not comment on books as a matter of principle, while still issuing its statement about fraternal grief.

The BBC said Earl Spencer told it he was in South Africa when Princess Diana died in the early hours of 31 August 1997 and that he got a call from Lady Jane Fellowes saying "it's not too serious" before later calls. The BBC reported that the memoir was due for release on Tuesday and that Spencer said the claims "will not be a surprise" to Prince William and Prince Harry.

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