00:00Charles Spencer is making a series of bombshell claims about Princess Diana, King Charles, and the royal family in his
00:06new memoir, Swansong, Diana, My Sister.
00:10In the book, Diana's younger brother opens up about his sister's life, her marriage to Charles, and the aftermath of
00:16her death.
00:16Ahead of the book's release, a representative for King Charles pushed back on Spencer's claims, saying that
00:21the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment, and color memory.
00:27One of Spencer's biggest allegations involves Charles' reaction to Diana's death in 1997.
00:33Spencer claims Charles sounded giddily elated, like a lottery winner, when they spoke by phone after Diana died in a
00:39car crash in Paris.
00:40He also claims Charles sounded strangely matter-of-fact, when telling him that he had already informed Prince William and
00:46Prince Harry that their mother had died.
00:48Looking back, Spencer writes that he suspects Charles may have been thinking about how Diana's death could allow him to
00:53marry Camilla, whom he wed in 2005.
00:55Spencer also claims that Queen Elizabeth II had a shocking reaction when she first heard about Diana's car accident.
01:02According to the memoir, the late Queen asked,
01:04What is she up to now? Allegedly before she knew that Diana had died.
01:08He further alleges that Charles wanted his mother to abdicate the throne, because he was frustrated about being a middle
01:14-aged man, who was still waiting to become king.
01:16Spencer also recalls an awkward conversation with Charles on the day of their father's funeral in 1992.
01:22He claims Charles told him he was lucky that his father had died early, because he was able to inherit
01:27his title at a young age.
01:29Spencer alleges that Charles then complained about his own parents treating him like a child, even though he was 43
01:34at the time.
01:35Years later, Spencer claims Charles became angry over William and Harry walking behind Diana's coffin at her funeral.
01:41According to Spencer, Charles accused the Spencer family of having no sense of duty, and then told him,
01:47rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough.
01:50Spencer also makes several claims about Diana's mental and emotional struggles.
01:54He says she drove herself to Beachy Head, the highest cliff in England, multiple times while contemplating ending her life.
02:01He claims her love for William and Harry ultimately stopped her.
02:04He also says he is convinced that Diana had undiagnosed ADHD,
02:08pointing to her struggles with concentration and learning difficulties as a child.
02:12The memoir also revisits Diana's relationship with Charles before their 1981 wedding.
02:17Spencer claims Diana wanted to call off the marriage after realizing Charles did not love her,
02:22but their father told her it was impossible to pull out at that point.
02:25He also alleges that Diana later told a close friend that Charles had bluntly told her the day before their
02:31wedding
02:31that he was happy to marry her, but was not in love with her.
02:34Spencer makes claims about their childhood as well,
02:37alleging that he and Diana were physically abused by two of their nannies.
02:40He says one nanny would hit their outstretched palms with a wooden spoon,
02:43while another would sometimes smack their heads against a concrete wall.
02:47And Spencer recalls an eerie comment Diana made just two months before her death.
02:51He says that on her 36th birthday, Diana joked that the flowers in her home
02:55made the place look like a funeral parlor.
02:58Two months later, Spencer was helping prepare for her funeral.
03:01After King Charles pushed back on the allegations in the book,
03:04Spencer doubled down on his claims in an interview with the BBC.
03:07I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said.
03:11He said of Charles' alleged reaction to Diana's death.
