Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer is preparing to share his personal memories of the late royal in a new book. Spencer says he wants to tell his sister’s story from his own perspective as the 30th anniversary of her death approaches.
Charles Spencer talks about his new book on Princess Diana
According to The Guardian, Charles Spencer’s upcoming memoir, “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” on September 22 in the U.K. The memoir will recount Princess Diana’s life as well as the week leading up to her death in 1997. According to the book’s publisher, the memoir marks the first time Spencer has spoken openly and at length about his sister in book form.
Explaining why he decided to write it, Spencer said the upcoming anniversary has brought renewed public interest in Diana’s life. “With the 30th anniversary of Diana’s tragic death on the skyline, I’ve been inundated yet again with requests for interviews about my sister,” he said.
Spencer added that he wanted to record his own memories instead of reading what he described as inaccurate accounts. “This has convinced me to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all, rather than having the discomfort of again reading the opinions of others, many of which are based on untruths that have become accepted over time.”
He also explained the goal behind the project. “The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective, just as I attempted to do when speaking at her funeral,” Spencer said. “As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana’s behalf and do so in an openly positive way.”
Penguin Michael Joseph publishing director Daniel Bunyard described the book as a tribute to Diana. He added that the work contains “many revelations that will draw considerable attention.”
Spencer also expressed hope that longtime admirers of Diana would appreciate the memoir. He hopes younger readers who never knew the princess gain a better understanding of her life. “I would be delighted if those too young to remember her in her heyday feel, after reading this, that they ‘get’ who she really was,” Spencer said. He called Diana “a one-off, dynamic character” whose legacy endures.
