Television presenter Kirstie Allsopp has launched a sharp critique of Earl Charles Spencer, accusing him of “hypocrisy” as the brother of the late Princess Diana prepares to release a memoir detailing his experiences within the royal orbit. Allsopp’s comments follow a high-profile exchange of claims between the Earl and Buckingham Palace regarding the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death.
The dispute centers on five words Allsopp shared on X (formerly Twitter) on September 17, 2026: “the hypocrisy of Charles Spencer.” Writing while bed-bound as she recovers from a recent serious fall, Allsopp criticized the Earl for what she described as profiting from his sister’s legacy while simultaneously attacking the King.
The ‘Bombshell’ Claim Behind the Row
The tension escalated ahead of the September 22, 2026, release of Spencer’s new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. In the book, the Earl reportedly details a heated disagreement over Princess Diana’s funeral arrangements in 1997. According to Spencer, the then-Prince of Wales told him, “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
This specific allegation prompted a rare and direct response from Buckingham Palace on September 16, 2026. A spokesperson suggested that fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment, and “colour memory,” effectively disputing the Earl’s version of the decades-old conversation.
Allsopp’s Critique of the Earl
Allsopp’s social media post targeted the financial aspect of Spencer’s public life and the maintenance of the Althorp estate. She argued that the Earl’s public profile and ongoing revenue streams are inextricably linked to his royal connections and the memory of his sister—the very institutions and people he is now criticizing in his writing.
While Allsopp remains recovering from her injuries, her intervention has added a layer of public debate to the serialization of the memoir. Spencer has stood by his accounts, maintaining that his recollections of the days following his sister’s death are accurate despite the Palace’s dismissal.
The timing of the dispute is significant, occurring just days before Swan Song hits shelves globally. The book is expected to provide further details on Spencer’s upbringing with Diana and his perspective on her treatment by the royal establishment, a narrative that continues to provoke strong reactions from both supporters of the monarchy and those close to the Spencer family.
