Earl Spencer’s long-awaited memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, officially arrived on UK shelves Tuesday, September 22, 2026, sparking an immediate and public confrontation with Buckingham Palace. While the book secured the top spot on Amazon’s bestseller chart through pre-orders alone, its release has been met with a rare, pointed rebuttal from the royal household and a high-profile legal threat from broadcaster Piers Morgan.
The memoir details several contentious interactions between the Earl and the royal family following the death of Princess Diana in 1997. Among the most striking claims is an allegation regarding a dispute over funeral arrangements, in which Spencer asserts that the then-Prince Charles told him, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
Spencer further describes a phone call with Charles shortly after Diana’s death, claiming the current King sounded “giddily elated – like a lottery winner.” The book also explores the personal impact of the 1996 divorce, stating that Princess Diana was “dreadfully hurt” by the loss of her Her Royal Highness (HRH) title.
Buckingham Palace has taken the unusual step of issuing a direct statement in response to the memoir’s contents. The Palace suggested that “fraternal grief” can sometimes “cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory,” a move interpreted by royal observers as a robust defense of the King’s reputation against the Earl’s recollections.
Adding to the friction surrounding the launch, Piers Morgan announced plans to sue Earl Spencer for what he characterized as “fabricated inaccuracies.” The legal dispute centers on Spencer’s account of the 1993 publication of photographs showing Princess Diana at a gym. Morgan has previously disputed his involvement in that specific editorial decision based on the timeline of his employment at the Mirror Group.
The memoir’s arrival marks a significant moment in the ongoing public narrative surrounding the Spencer family and the House of Windsor. Despite the significant pushback from both the Palace and media figures, the book’s commercial performance indicates a sustained public interest in the Earl’s perspective on his sister’s life and legacy.
