Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, should be given official security now because the media is treating them in a similar way to Princess Diana, Earl Spencer has said.
Diana died aged 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash as photographers pursued her on motorbikes, prompting questions around the media’s responsibility in her tragic death.
Harry and Meghan have returned to live in Britain six years after they quit royal duties and moved to the US.
"From a security aspect, as an uncle who's seen his sister die in very, very preventable circumstances, I would veer towards protection," Charles Spencer told the BBC.
He said the tabloid treatment of both Diana, and Harry and Meghan, could be "really, really unpleasant", that it was "beholden on people" to learn from that experience.
It came as he struggled to hold back tears when asked how much he misses Princess Diana in a newly released TV interview.
Speaking to BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, he admitted he misses his sister “everyday,” adding: “That’s the thing with sibling loss, you never get over it.”
Key Points
- Earl Spencer tears up when asked if he misses Diana
- 'I swear Diana said that to me': Earl Spencer addresses 'Charles is in love with his valet' accusation
- 'Echoes of Diana' in media's treatment of Harry and Meghan, Earl Spencer says
- Earl Spencer accuses King Charles of 'gaslighting him' over book claims
- Queen reacted 'tetchily' to news of Diana's car crash
- King Charles 'saddened that old sorrows are being dragged back up', says friend
Earl Spencer: 'Those are exactly the words he said'
06:00 , Alex Croft
SNL UK brutally mocks Ed Sheeran and King Charles in Diana sketch
04:01 , Alex Croft
After a week dominating the headlines, the royal war of words was the subject of comedy show SNL UK’s first sketch of the night on Saturday.
The sketch saw the cast bring back Princess Diana as an AI assistant for King Charles, mocking the monarch allegedly saying that she would be forgotten “soon enough” while arguing with Earl Charles Spencer over her funeral arrangements in 1997.
Spencer made the bombshell claim in an extract his upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, with Buckingham Palace responding by saying that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud, reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise”.
You can read all about the sketch below:
Ed Sheeran and King Charles brutally mocked in SNL UK Diana sketch
'Often families have these quarrels', says Ed Davey of royal dispute
02:00 , Alex Croft
Sir Ed Davey has said “often families have these quarrels, and often they go back to things that may or may not have been said decades ago”, in regards to Earl Spencer’s claims about the King.
On BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the Liberal Democrats leader was asked if he would agree with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch’s statement that she does not want to take a side but is “always on the side of His Majesty”.
Sir Ed said: “I’m a huge fan of His Majesty and of the royal family and that’s why I don’t really want to comment on what’s going on there.
“All I would say, I think people who will know from their own family experience, often families have these quarrels, and often they go back to things that may or may not have been said decades ago and it can be very painful.
“I just feel sorry for the royal family that this is being played out in public.”
Watch: Earl Spencer says he 'felt a lightness' in Charles' tone in first call following Diana's death
00:29 , Alex Croft
Earl Spencer said allegations were his 'duty as an eyewitness to history'
23:31 , Alex Croft
Earl Spencer felt it was his “duty… as an eyewitness to history” to write a new memoir chronicling the life of his sister, which has included a series of damning claims about the King.
It comes after the earl accused the King of gaslighting him after Buckingham Palace pushed back against explosive claims that Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” after Diana, Princess of Wales, died.
The earl has made a series of claims about the King in a new memoir chronicling the life of his sister Diana that prompted the response from Buckingham Palace, which said “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
On his motivations for writing the book, the earl told the BBC it was his “duty… as an eyewitness to history”.
He said: “I’m aware of mortality and I wanted to just put things down once and for all that were true.
“This is not a threat, it’s a fact, I know lots of things about the King which I chose not to include in the book because they were not relevant.”
Labour minister says it is 'not for politicians to opine on the royal family'
22:30 , Alex Croft
Bridget Phillipson said it was “not for politicians to opine on the royal family” after Kemi Badenoch said she was “always on the side of His Majesty”.
Asked whether she agreed with the Tory leader following explosive claims made in the memoir of Earl Spencer, the women and equalities minister told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “My view is that the royal family don’t comment on politics, and I think it’s not for politicians to comment on what has or hasn’t happened within the royal family.
“Clearly, these are family matters, but actually, I don’t think as politicians we should be inserting ourselves into discussions about the royal family. They don’t do that to us, and I think we owe them that responsibility in return.”
Asked whether she agreed with Earl Spencer that there were echoes of how his sister was treated by the media in the way the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are, she said: “Again, sorry to repeat myself here, but I don’t think it’s the politicians to opine on the royal family, and I won’t be doing so.”
Earl Spencer 'failing to protect nephews or Diana's memory', says royal commentator
21:29 , Alex Croft
A British royal commentator has accused Earl Spencer of failing to protect his nephews or the memory of his sister.
“In his 6 September 1997 eulogy in Westminster Abbey, Earl Spencer vowed to protect William and Harry,” journalist and radio commentator Dickie Arbiter said on X.
“His current allegations are hardly protecting his nephews nor protecting the memory of his sister 29 years after her tragic death,” he added.
In his 6 September 1997 eulogy in Westminster Abbey, Earl Spencer vowed to protect William and Harry. His current allegations are hardly protecting his nephews nor protecting the memory of his sister 29 years after her tragic death.
— Dickie Arbiter LVO 🇬🇧 (@RoyalDickie) September 20, 2026
Earl Spencer calls for Harry and Meghan to receive official security
20:45 , Alex Croft
Earl Spencer has said that Prince Harry and Meghan should be given official security, as they are now treated by the media much in the same way as his late sister was in the years leading up to her death.
Diana died aged 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash as photographers pursued her on motorbikes, sparking an outpouring of grief and a reckoning over whether the media bore some responsibility after it splashed details of her life across front pages for years.
Harry and Meghan have returned to live in Britain six years after they quit royal duties and moved to the US.
"From a security aspect, as an uncle who's seen his sister die in very, very preventable circumstances, I would veer towards protection," Charles Spencer told the BBC, citing Harry's position as fifth-in-line to the British throne and as a former soldier.
He said the tabloid treatment of both Diana, and Harry and Meghan, could be "really, really unpleasant", that it was "beholden on people" to learn from that experience.
Who is Earl Spencer – and why is his new book causing controversy?
20:01 , Alex Croft
Earl Spencer is the late Princess of Wales’ younger brother, and a British peer, author, journalist and broadcaster who succeeded his father as Viscount Althorp in 1992, aged just 27.
He is releasing a memoir titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, detailing his relationship and grief following Princess Diana's 1997 death.
The book has sent shockwaves through the royal family after Earl Spencer claimed King Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” during a row about Diana’s funeral arrangements.
The allegations prompted Buckingham Palace to release an unprecedented statement, in which King Charles said he is “mindful” that grief can cloud reason and memory.
The book will be released on Tuesday.
Watch: Earl Spencer tears up when asked if he misses Diana as he doubles down on claims about King
19:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Charles Spencer’s book is Diana’s unfinished business – Harry’s documentary will finish it
19:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
As Buckingham Palace hits back at the claims of King Charles’s reaction to the death of Diana, Dan Wakeford, former People editor and founder of the Celebrity Intelligence website, looks at why her brother is publishing his tell-all now, and how the next 12 months will be about settling scores.
This book is Diana’s unfinished business – Harry’s documentary will finish it
Diana said Mohamed Al Fayed ‘squeezed’ her buttocks, Earl Spencer claims
18:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Princess Diana told her brother Earl Spencer that Mohamed Al Fayed had “dropped a hand onto her buttocks and squeezed them”, early in her romance with Dodi Fayed, according to reports.
The earl has made a series of damning claims about the King in a new memoir chronicling the Princess of Wales’ life that prompted the palace to push back, saying “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
Earl Spencer said Diana “disliked” Al Fayed, the Mail Online reports.
It comes after a documentary exposing allegations of rape and sexual abuse against Al Fayed aired on the BBC two years ago.
Read more here:
Diana said Mohamed Al Fayed ‘squeezed’ buttocks, Earl Spencer claims
Watch: Earl Spencer claims Charles said 'we'll forget her soon enough' following disagreement about funeral arrangements
18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer felt it was his ‘duty’ to write memoir on life of Diana
17:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer felt it was his “duty… as an eyewitness to history” to write a new memoir chronicling the life of his sister, which has included a series of damning claims about the King.
It comes after the earl accused the King of gaslighting him after Buckingham Palace pushed back against explosive claims that Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” after Diana, Princess of Wales, died.
The earl has made a series of claims about the King in a new memoir chronicling the life of his sister Diana that prompted the response from Buckingham Palace, which said “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason”.
On his motivations for writing the book, the earl told the BBC it was his “duty… as an eyewitness to history”.
He said: “I’m aware of mortality and I wanted to just put things down once and for all that were true.
“This is not a threat, it’s a fact, I know lots of things about the King which I chose not to include in the book because they were not relevant.”
King Charles had 'no place' at Diana's funeral
17:30 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Earl Spencer has questioned why Charles was at Princess Diana’s funeral following their divorce the previous year.
He wrote in his latest excerpt: “What was Prince Charles actually doing there?
“This ex-husband, from a marriage that had collapsed so bitterly… surely had no place at his ex’s funeral.
“Supporting his sons was the reason given for his prominent place, but what were the boys doing there, anyway? It all seemed mad to me.”
Some royal family secrets 'still left unsaid,' Earl Spencer says
17:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer has implied there are family secrets which have still been “left unsaid’ despite the explosive revelations of his new memoir.
In his interview with BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, she said: “Maybe, as maybe in every, some family secrets are better left unsaid.”
He responded: “They certainly are, and they have been left unsaid.”
When asked if he will say more, he said: “Nope, that’s it. That’s me done.”
Watch: Earl Spencer doubles down on accusations in his book
17:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
'I am not on Harry's side,' Earl Spencer clarifies his position amid his nephews' terse relationship
17:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer said there is a “misconception in the media that he is on Harry’s side”.
He said, rather, he is on “my deceased sister’s sons’ side- both of them”.
The earl added: “And if either of them wanted anything, then I would be equally there for them. And I would never get involved in one camp or another except as a benign figure, I hope. That’s my role.”
Comment: Charles should have listened to his mother – ‘Never complain, never explain’
17:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
By ignoring the late Queen Elizabeth’s famous motto in the row over Earl Spencer’s new book about Diana, the King has been seriously wrongfooted, says Harry Mount.
Charles should have listened to his mother – ‘Never complain, never explain’
Prince Harry's security situation 'worrying' to Earl Spencer 'as an uncle'
16:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer said he worries “as an uncle” about Prince Harry’s lack of security in the UK.
“I personally worry about the fifth in line to the throne, who has served in the military, not having any police protection.
“As an uncle, I do worry about the security aspect.”
Earl Spencer tears up when asked if he misses Diana
16:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer got visibly emotional and struggled to hold back tears when asked how much he misses Diana.
He said he misses her “everyday,” adding: “That’s the thing with sibling loss, you never get over it.”
He added: “It really breaks me up, when I look at old photographs at Diana and then think about what happened to her. It’s terribly sad.”
Earl Spencer addresses 'Charles is in love with his valet' accusation in book: 'I swear Diana said that to me'
16:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
When asked whether Earl Spencer believes an accusation in his book that Charles “is in love with his valet,” he said: “I can absolutely swear that [Diana] said those words to me.”
He said Diana revealed the reported secret to him at a restaurant, when she told him her marriage will end in a divorce.
He said he then said to her: “I do worry that the public will be angry with you for killing the fairytale that they all subscribed to, and those are the words she said to me.”
Watch: Earl Spencer says he 'felt a lightness' in Charles' tone in first call following Diana's death
16:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Harry and William 'will not be surprised' by these words
16:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer said Prince Harry and Prince William will “not be surprised” when he hears the interview.
He said: “I don’t like to talk about what I’ve been speaking about to William and Harry, but these words will not be a surprise to them.”
Diana's brother says eulogy for Diana was 'direct rebuttal' against Charles' words
16:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer said his eulogy at Diana’s funeral was a “direct rebuttal” to Charles.
The earl claimed Charles said on a phone call about Diana that “we will forget her soon enough”.
He said he listed her fantastic qualities, saying they “will never be extinguished from our minds”.
'Those are exactly the words he said'
16:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
When read out the Palace’s statement refuting the accusations against Charles, Earl Spencer said: “Those are exactly the words he said.”
He added: “I’ve only ever had two calls on the line with Prince Charles at any stage of my life. I was hyper alert to what he was saying, and those were the exact words he said. And I promise to you that now.”
Earl Spencer claims Charles said 'we'll forget her soon enough' following disagreement about funeral arrangements
16:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer said he tried to stop the order for Prince Harry and Prince William to walk behind their mother’s coffin at the funeral.
The earl described speaking to a colonel from the Palace, who told him the plan.
The earl responded: “Well of course that’s not going to happen. It just seemed so monstrous.”
He added: “My sister wouldn’t have wanted that.”
He said Charles then called him on the phone to address the issue, as the former Prince of Wales compared to the situation to him walking behind Lord Mountbatten’s coffin.
After disagreeing, the earl claimed Charles “went ballistic and started really going for my family as a whole about their sense of duty not being adequate enough”.
He added that he “ranted for a while” while he just listened.
He said Charles then said: “We’ll forget her soon enough.”
The earl said he was “stunned” and said: “I cannot believe you just said that,” before hanging up on Charles.
Earl Spencer says he 'felt a lightness' in Charles' tone in first call following Diana's death
16:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Earl Spencer said he “felt a lightness” in King Charles’ tone when he first spoke to him following the death of Princess Diana.
Charles had called the earl to inform him how he had broken the news of Diana’s death to his sons.
He added: “I was surprised at the giddiness of his tone. That’s what I’m recording there.”
Full explosive interview with Earl Spencer now live
16:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The BBC interview with Princess Diana’s brother the Earl Spencer is now live.
Stay tuned as we give you the latest from the interview.
Fresh Earl Spencer interview to drop amid allegations of 'gaslighting'
15:55 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
A new interview with Earl Spencer is expected to be released in just a few minutes amid allegations that King Charles was “gaslighting” him.
Buckingham Palace said the King was “mindful” that grief can cloud emotions and memories in a statement following the first extract of the earl’s memoir.
Hitting back on Sunday, Earl Spencer accused the King of “gaslighting” and insisted he is telling the truth.
We’ll bring you all the latest from the interview in this blog.
What are we expecting to hear in earl's TV interview?
15:30 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Earl Spencer’s dramatic TV interview is set to air shortly, with the broadcast available on BBC iPlayer from 4pm.
In clips released from the interview, the earl doubles down on claims made in his memoir and described comments made by the King about his sister as “monstrous”.
Speaking about an alleged row over Diana’s funeral arrangements involving her sons, the earl said: “(The King) went ballistic, would be the right term, and started really going for my family as a whole, about their sense of duty, not being adequate enough, and ranted for a while, I have no idea how long, but it was a significant period, and I just listened.
“And then he stopped, and I thought, ‘Oh now he’s going to pull himself together and say something more appropriate’.
“And then he said, ‘We’ll forget her soon enough’.”
Asked whether he has “evidence” of the King’s comments, the earl told the BBC: “I told friends and family straight away, close friends and family, about what had been said, because it was so monstrous.”
He added: “I’m telling the truth.”
We’ll be expecting to hear more about these claims tonight, as well as his comments that Buckingham Palace “have not actually denied” the claims.
The interview will air on iPlayer at 4pm and BBC One at 6.30pm.
Who is Earl Spencer – and why is his new book causing controversy?
15:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Earl Spencer is the late Princess of Wales’ younger brother, and a British peer, author, journalist and broadcaster who succeeded his father as Viscount Althorp in 1992, aged just 27.
He is releasing a memoir titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, detailing his relationship and grief following Princess Diana's 1997 death.
The book has sent shockwaves through the royal family after Earl Spencer claimed King Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” during a row about Diana’s funeral arrangements.
The allegations prompted Buckingham Palace to release an unprecedented statement, in which King Charles said he is “mindful” that grief can cloud reason and memory.
The book will be released on Tuesday.
