Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer is now at the centre of renewed attention because of his forthcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The book is due to be published on 22 September 2026, and is described by its publisher as an intimate account of Diana’s life and death through the memories of her brother.
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, is the younger brother of Diana, , and the maternal uncle of Prince William and Prince Harry. Born on 20 May 1964, he grew up at Althorp, the Spencer family estate in Northamptonshire, alongside Diana and their two older sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.
Spencer inherited the family title in March 1992, following the death of his father, John Spencer, the eighth Earl Spencer. Before becoming Earl Spencer, he was known by the courtesy title Viscount Althorp. He was educated at Eton College before studying Modern History at Magdalen College, .
His connection to Diana has always been central to his public identity, but Spencer has built a career of his own. He spent a decade working for as a television reporter and correspondent before moving into writing and historical broadcasting. His books have largely focused on history, including the Spencer family, Althorp and figures and events from Britain’s past.
Spencer and Diana shared a childhood shaped by the Spencer family’s long history and, later, the breakdown of their parents’ marriage. His relationship with his sister became particularly visible after her death in 1997.
At Diana’s funeral at , Spencer delivered the eulogy that became one of the most remembered moments of the service. He spoke about his sister’s vulnerability and her relationship with the public, while also making a pointed reference to William and Harry and his hope that they would not be overwhelmed by royal duty and tradition.
That speech established Spencer as an important voice in the story of Diana’s family and her relationship with the royal establishment.
The memoir revisits Diana’s childhood, her marriage to the then-Prince Charles, motherhood, the intense media attention surrounding her and the aftermath of her death in Paris in August 1997.
Some of its most contentious passages concern the days immediately following Diana’s death and the arrangements for her funeral.
Spencer claims that he objected to and Harry, then 15 and 12 respectively, walking behind their mother’s coffin. He says he believed Diana would not have wanted her young sons placed at the centre of such a public and emotionally difficult procession. He also describes a tense telephone conversation with the then- over the issue.
The memoir has attracted particular attention because Spencer makes claims about conversations involving members of the royal family nearly three decades after Diana’s death.
Among the most disputed is his allegation that Charles said, “we’ll forget her soon enough”. has rejected the account, with its response pointing to the possibility that grief can affect memory and judgement. Spencer has continued to stand by his recollection.
The dispute has placed Spencer once again in a familiar position: ‘s brother speaking publicly about events surrounding her life and death, while the royal family faces renewed scrutiny over the events of 1997.
For Spencer, however, Swan Song is presented as more than a book about the . His own description of the project focuses on preserving his memories of Diana and giving readers a picture of his sister beyond the public image that has endured since her death.
