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The bombshells just keep dropping for King Charles, amid the publication of his former brother-in-law’s royal exposé, and yet Princess Diana’s brother Earl Charles Spencer claims there’s plenty more revelations about Britain’s 77-year-old he’s keeping secret.
Earl Spencer’s tome – Swan Song: Diana, My Sister – sparked a rare statement from Buckingham Palace over claims it contains, in the days before its publication date of September 22.
Those included an allegation that, during an argument after Diana’s death, Charles told a grieving Spencer that they’d “forget her soon enough”.
“While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss,” a Palace spokesperson said in response.
But, of course, the claims just keep coming.
In another excerpt from the book, Spencer says a young Prince Harry was “allowed to spin out of control” after his mother’s death, due to the royals’ “lack of obvious care” for the then 12-year-old.
Another passage alleges how Charles squeezed Diana’s waist a few days after their engagement announcement, telling her, “Oh, a bit chubby here, aren’t we?”
Diana, Spencer said, found the comment “devastating”, and she would go on to lose five and a half inches from her waist before her marriage day.
Now, sources tell Woman’s Day that an “enraged” Charles is prepared to “keep fighting” against Spencer’s narrative, even though those close to him fear it will end up being a “lose-lose scenario”.
“The fact that he made a statement shows just how enraged he is,” the insider shares.
“Everyone told him not to dignify this with a response but that just wasn’t an option, he had to speak out.
“He actually held himself back, he had a lot more he wanted to say to defend himself but his advisors intervened and convinced him to tone it down,” the source goes on.
“Even with this less aggressive response there’s a huge worry that the King may have just invited more horrible accusations from Earl Spencer.”
Indeed, Spencer himself has alluded to hidden secrets that he holds the key to.
“I know lots of things about the King which I chose not to include in the book because they were not relevant,” the earl said in an interview with the BBC ahead of his book’s publication.
When it was put to him that the statement sounded like a threat, he disagreed.
“No, not at all a threat, it’s just the reality,” he said. “If I was a salacious writer and wanted to write that sort of thing I have plenty of other things I could have said.”
Royal expert Phil Dampier told The Sun that Spencer appeared to be out for “cold hearted revenge” against the former brother-in-law he’d always had a strained relationship with.
“Whether it’s true or not, and I’m sure there’s a lot in his book that is true… you have to ask, why is he raking this all up now?” Dampier asked of Spencer’s motive.
“It’s actually another year to the thirtieth anniversary of Diana’s death. You have to be forced to the conclusion that it can only be for two reasons, and that is one money and revenge.
“He’s been married four times, he’s got lots of children,” the expert added of Spencer. “You know, perhaps he does need the money, but he could be more honest about it.”
A source tells Woman’s Day that the under-siege King may up the ante under pressure.
“It’s no secret that [Spencer] had more he wanted to include in the book so there’s no denying that His Majesty is playing with fire,” the insider says.
“He may end up facing more damaging claims but he says he won’t be intimidated.
“He’s vowing to fight back much harder… insisting that Diana’s brother will face consequences for spreading what he insists are bald face lies.”
