Earl Spencer Claims King Charles Sounded ‘Giddily Elated’ Following Princess Diana’s Death

Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, has ignited a fresh controversy within the British royal sphere after claiming that King Charles appeared remarkably cheerful in the immediate aftermath of Diana’s fatal car crash in 1997. The allegations, drawn from his forthcoming memoir, depict the monarch’s initial reaction in an intensely critical manner.

According to excerpts from the book, the then-Prince of Wales sounded "giddily elated" during a telephone conversation with Earl Spencer shortly after the tragedy occurred. Spencer wrote that Charles’s tone resembled that of a "lottery winner," marking a stark departure from the grief-stricken responses of others who reached out to offer condolences during that tumultuous period.

Buckingham Palace has mounted a resolute pushback against the claims, publicly questioning the reliability and perspective of the Earl’s written recollections. The Palace’s response follows an earlier serialised extract from the memoir which alleged that Charles had dismissively remarked that Diana would be forgotten soon enough.

Addressing the claims, a Palace spokesperson stated that while the royal household maintains a general principle of not commenting on published books, His Majesty is conscious of how profound personal loss can influence a person’s recollection. The spokesperson noted that fraternal grief can cloud reason, compromise judgment, and alter memory in ways that others may not recognise, even decades after the tragedy.

The emerging revelations represent some of the most pointed and personal criticisms aimed at King Charles by Diana’s family in recent years. By casting the monarch’s conduct and motivations in such a harsh light, the memoir relies entirely on Earl Spencer’s private recollections of highly emotionally charged interactions that took place nearly thirty years ago.

In his memoir, titled *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, Earl Spencer details the harrowing night of August 31, 1997, when he first learned of the crash in Paris. He describes being awoken at his residence in Cape Town, South Africa, by a middle-of-the-night telephone call from his sister Jane, who alerted him to the unfolding catastrophe.

In subsequent phone calls confirming Diana’s death, Charles contacted Spencer directly. Contrasting Charles’s demeanor with that of other individuals who called in disbelief and could barely articulate their sorrow, Spencer alleged that the Prince of Wales spoke with an unexpected and unsettling cheerfulness.

During that same exchange, Charles reportedly told Spencer that he had already broken the devastating news to the couple's young sons, Princes William and Harry. The Prince of Wales explained that he had visited the young royals in their bedrooms at Balmoral Castle first thing that morning to inform them of their mother’s passing, roughly a year after Charles and Diana finalised their divorce in August 1996.

Beyond the events surrounding the Paris crash, the memoir delves extensively into the protracted breakdown of Diana and Charles’s marriage. Spencer recounts being told by a confidante of the princess that, on the eve of their high-profile July 1981 royal wedding, Charles confessed he was very happy to marry her but was not actually in love with her.

Earl Spencer reflects that significant difficulties surfaced very early in the union, noting his belief that both partners experienced profound despair and frustration with one another as the relationship deteriorated under immense public scrutiny.

The book also explores Princess Diana’s personal well-being and mental health struggles throughout her adult life. Earl Spencer writes that he now believes his late sister lived with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), alongside an associated condition known as Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria.

He describes Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria as a state involving overwhelming emotional distress when confronted with perceived rejection, disapproval, or external criticism. Spencer suggests that this vulnerability added severe emotional strain to Diana’s already complicated position within the public eye.

In one of the memoir’s most sensitive disclosures, Spencer reveals that Diana considered taking her own life on more than one occasion in her later years. However, he emphasizes that her profound love and devotion toward Prince William and Prince Harry ultimately prevented her from taking that final, tragic step.

Excerpts of the book have been serialised in the *Daily Mail* ahead of its general release next week, though media organisations, including BBC News, have not yet reviewed the manuscript in its entirety. When approached for comment, representatives for Prince Harry declined to offer any statement regarding the memoir’s contents.

The publication of these disputed recollections poses significant questions regarding public reception and the boundaries of royal disclosures. Observers note that while some readers may view the book as an authentic and valuable perspective from Diana’s immediate family, others may see the dredging up of private, decades-old familial conflicts as inappropriate.