Princess Diana‘s story is at the center of a reported publishing security breach after four copies of Earl Spencer’s highly anticipated memoir were allegedly stolen from a truck in the Netherlands. The books were reportedly taken just days before Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is due to reach readers and ahead of its exclusive newspaper serialisation.
Four copies of Charles Spencer’s Princess Diana memoir reportedly stolen from a truck
According to The Daily Mail, thieves broke into a truck carrying thousands of copies of Earl Spencer’s memoir after someone left it overnight at a lay-by in the Netherlands earlier this week. They reportedly stole only four copies of the book. The thieves wrapped the stolen copies in black plastic to conceal their contents. The theft has added to the mystery, as publishers have kept the memoir under tight security ahead of its release.
Publishing insiders have already raised questions about whether the thieves knew what they were taking. Some industry sources have reportedly considered the possibility of opportunistic criminals, while others have speculated about someone with prior knowledge of the book and its release.
A publishing source called the theft highly unusual, especially because publishers had reportedly taken extra steps to prevent the memoir from leaking. “It’s extremely suspicious,” the source said, adding that nothing like this had happened before. “This is probably the biggest book of the year and the security surrounding it has been incredibly tight.”
The source also discussed the memoir’s importance and the strict security surrounding it. According to the insider, publishers have taken strong measures to prevent any part of the book from leaking before its planned serialisation. Hence, the publishing industry is taking the theft “extremely seriously.”
