Broadcaster Piers Morgan is pursuing legal action regarding Earl Spencer’s new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The dispute, involving correspondence originally marked “private and confidential,” follows a public disagreement over historical inaccuracies regarding Morgan’s tenure at the Daily Mirror.
The conflict centers on a specific claim in the memoir, published on September 22, 2026, which alleged that Morgan was responsible for the publication of intrusive gym photographs of Princess Diana in 1993. Morgan has challenged this timeline, noting that he was working at The Sun in 1993 and did not become the editor of the Daily Mirror until 1995.
Earl Spencer has since issued an apology, acknowledging that the book contained an “incorrect assumption” regarding the photographs. However, the situation escalated after Spencer reportedly denied during an interview in the United States that he was facing any formal legal challenge. Morgan has maintained that formal demands had indeed been served to the publisher.
Demands for Withdrawal and Damages
Legal correspondence indicates that Morgan’s requirements for settlement extend beyond a simple apology. The broadcaster is demanding that the publishers withdraw the book from sale or pulp all existing copies of the first edition to prevent the further spread of the inaccurate claim.
While the legal action includes a claim for damages, Morgan has stated he does not intend to keep the funds. He has requested that any financial settlement awarded from the dispute be donated directly to The King’s Trust.
The dispute highlights a significant rift between the Spencer family and the broadcaster over the portrayal of the 1990s media landscape. While the Earl has committed to correcting future editions of the memoir, the current legal stand-off focuses on the immediate availability of the first edition and the characterization of the ongoing legal process.
