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At his Althorp estate, Earl Spencer spoke with Laura Kuenssberg about whether he thought Princess Diana would relate to the intense media scrutiny currently faced by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Reflecting on the coverage of both Diana and the couple, he acknowledged the hostility often found in tabloid articles. He emphasized the importance of learning from Diana’s experience and expressed sympathy for anyone subjected to such relentless public destruction. “For anyone who’s being destroyed in this way daily, it must be such a cancerous influence in their life,” he remarked, while refusing to speak directly on behalf of Harry and Meghan.
Earl Spencer described how the media’s harsh criticism deeply affected his sister, who married Prince Charles in 1981. He recalled witnessing her “tears of despair” and noted that she was extremely sensitive to negative press. According to him, Diana was “really brought low” by the ongoing criticism, and he lamented seeing similar patterns echo in the treatment of Harry and Meghan. While some perceive him as siding with the Sussexes, he clarified, “I’m on my deceased sister’s sons’ side, both of them and if either of them wanted anything, then I’d be equally there for them.”
Princess Diana’s life was relentlessly documented by the press until her fatal car accident in Paris on 31 August 1997. During her funeral eulogy, Earl Spencer accused the media of a relentless campaign aimed at undermining her, asserting that newspapers were threatened by what he called her “genuine goodness.” His comments about the Sussexes come shortly after their recent visit to the UK, a trip occurring amid their ongoing criticisms of the British press and the Royal Family’s support—or lack thereof—before their departure from the country.
The Sussexes have long voiced their frustrations regarding media treatment and familial support. In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry described tabloids as fostering a “toxic environment” filled with “control and fear.” Meghan echoed these sentiments in their 2022 Netflix series, stating, “No matter how hard I tried, no matter how good I was, no matter what I did, they [the media] were still going to find a way to destroy me.” Recently, Prince Harry and others lost a privacy case against the Daily Mail’s publisher, facing potential legal costs approaching £34.5 million. However, the Duke has also won previous legal battles against the Mirror Group and News Group, resulting in damages, settlements, and apologies.
This interview marked Earl Spencer’s first public remarks since the Palace issued a forceful response disputing some of his claims about King Charles. The royal statement suggested that grief could affect judgment and memory, especially years after a loss. Earl Spencer responded with some sarcasm, questioning whether the King was “furious or embarrassed” and reaffirmed his account of a conversation he had with Prince Charles, asserting that he accurately recalled the words spoken. When asked for evidence, he said he had shared the details with family and friends at the time because of their shocking nature.
Criticizing the Palace’s statement for downplaying his version of events, Earl Spencer said, “They’ve sort of smudged that one, haven’t they? They’ve said that recollections may vary.” When pressed on which Charles the public should believe, he firmly stated, “I’m telling the truth.” His upcoming book, *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, set to be released next week, is expected to contain sharp criticism of the Royal Family. In excerpts already released, he claimed the King sounded “giddily elated” during a call following Diana’s death, comparing Charles’s reaction to that of a “lottery winner.
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