Earl Spencer's book on Diana is stolen

[JustHereForTheShitsAndGiggles]

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Copies of Earl Spencer's sensational book about Princess Diana have been stolen from a lorry – just before its exclusive serialisation in the Daily Mail.
The memoir – Swan Song: Diana, My Sister – includes revelations about Diana's deeply unhappy marriage with the then Prince of Wales.
It also describes the crisis that engulfed the Royal Family after her death in a car crash almost 30 years ago.
Last night a publishing insider said: 'Earl Spencer has kept his silence for nearly 30 years and what he has to say about the King's reaction when Diana died is utterly devastating.'
But, in an astonishing development, the Mail can reveal that a truck packed with thousands of copies of the book was broken into after it was parked overnight in a lay-by in the Netherlands earlier this week.
Just four copies, which had been wrapped in black plastic to hide their contents, were stolen in what publishing sources believe could have been an audacious plot to steal the highly anticipated book of the year before it hits the shelves.

Earl Spencer's bombshell new book is stolen: Several copies of Earl's explosive book about his sister Diana - and how King reacted to her death - are taken in raid on a Dutch lorry | Daily Mail Online

What was also very sad was that they persisted for 10 years after the marriage was over before divorce. That must have been a hideous existence for them both and for their very young children - both of their parents preoccupied with multiple / serial other sexual affairs (Diana had 6 - first before PH was 2 years old - PC before, during and after the marriage) - then the tension and toxicity between them played out on public for more or less the entirety of their childhood must have been excruciating and damaging. I don’t think that would happen now - no need to endure and inflict such misery on everyone - just cut to the chase with dignity, save everyone unnecessary pain and move on.

That'll be some of the monarchists who find any kind of adverse revelation distasteful, Trainbleu, and it's been illuminating to see some leaping to declare Spencer a liar when they weren't there and can't know

FWIW I'm a republican and still don't think this should have been written, largely because it's hardly kind to William or Harry who were blameless.
I don't admire the monarchy, but I admire ugly behaviour even less - including that of the RF

there was a huge power imbalance between Diana aged nineteen, plucked out of relative obscurity, and Charles aged thirty-two, heir to the Crown, with the power of that institution behind him, in love with someone else.

While I can see that point of view, I think Diana herself would have objected quite strongly to 'relative obscurity'.

She was proud of her heritage, and once pointed out to Philip that her title was much older than his.

Oh she was "an aristocrat to her finger tips". It was very important to her, and she certainly wanted to be Princess of Wales.

I think it's true some people defend their side by reflex and I agree that ugly behaviour doesn't help anyone. Having said that I do believe that there is an unexpected trend of comments against Charles S writing the book which I didn't expect to see.

On all honesty I'm surprised at CS doing this, because it's got to be uncomfortable for W&H and, by extension, their children. I don't know what's to be gained from it, but that's his choice.

I’m not a true Republican because I am kind of looking forward to the Wales stepping in to the roles, but I don’t have much time for King Charles nor the monarchy as it currently exists. I do think though it’s a lot more than monarchists who find this revelation a bit repugnant and unnecessary, maybe there will be more context to it when the book is released, but as it stands now, it’s Charles Spencer who is the one who is coming across as an appalling and vengeful character just out to make money, and his own marital and family track record lends weight to that description.

It's also important to note that Diana grew up in royal circles and lived very close to Sandringham for a long time. She wasn't coming into a family she had no knowledge about. I do think the reports that her grandmother and the Queen Mother pressured her to go through with it when she had doubts are probably true. It was a complex situation with lots of people who were not acting in the best interest of the individuals involved and both Charles and Diana brought baggage into the marriage. No easy answers here.

I don't think he should have done it, because I can't see how it can help William and Harry.

Much of the criticism I'm seeing of Charles S online (other than from obvious monarchist accounts) appears to be personal criticism directed at how he has managed family relationships, with implied or direct accusation of hypocrisy.

I'm hoping the book itself is more balanced than the extracts suggest. Serialisations always pick out the contraversial for clickbait so maybe it will be. I haven't read his history books but I understand they are well written I hope he used the same lens for this book as well.

Her mother was 18 when she married the 30 year old Johnny Spencer. Her grandmother similarly married Baron Fermoy, a much older man. Her sister, Jane, married Robert Fellowes, 16 years her senior when she was only 21.
It looks like a family pattern.

Who knows? Maybe William and Harry are happy to have someone sticking up for their mother for once? It must have been painful for them to hear the narrative that has been allowed to develop about Diana since her death and few people have been brave enough to speak up on Diana’s behalf as time has gone on, save for Patrick Jephson, Vivienne Parry and Rosa Monckton among others.

No one is saying Diana didn’t have flaws but she had lots of good qualities too and I hope CS has highlighted those in his book.

"Sticking up for their mother"?
Plenty of pro Diana tomes over the years. This isn't the first.
We know a lot about Harry because he shares a great deal. Considerably less about William.
We'll never know.

It must have been painful for them to hear the narrative that has been allowed to develop about Diana since her death

There is no doubt Diana had a lot of good qualities, and was very effective in raising the profile of charities she chose to work with.

I think it's important, however, to challenge the suggestion that criticism of Diana is a 'narrative' that has developed since her death.

To the contrary, over the 2-3 years prior to her death, and especially in that last summer, the public were increasingly uncomfortable with her behaviour.

Some have suggested that this was a media push by the palace. Rather, for many, it started with the behaviour towards Oliver Hoare, which resulted in a police investigation into 300 silent phone calls to the marital home. The calls were traced to Kensington Palace.
Then came the break up of Will Carling's marriage.

None of this was 'a narrative' developed after her death.

You’re right she can’t answer back.

At various others designating her a victim.

Wow indeed.

I can imagine having fag ash Lil queening her pitch must have been utterly humiliating and who could blame her. It would make a saint a sinner and she was no saint.

I don't understand what you're saying?

That may have been how it started off - but Diana soon gained power and traction with the public with her youth, compassion, beauty and charisma - powers that outshone PC. She also found ways to socialise to suit her personal goals with the rich and famous - so some fragile, victim locked in the attic with no personal agency is a fiction.

I do think though it’s a lot more than monarchists who find this revelation a bit repugnant and unnecessary ...

I agree, @Trainbleu; as said, though far from a monarchist even I find it unpleasant, but at least most of us try to differentiate between what's actually known and what isn't, which is why it's a bit disappointing to see some instantly declare Spencer a liar when on this subject there's no evidence

And I still think it's deeply unfortunate for William and Harry to read that their father made such a callous remark about their mum - worse still if Harry uses it as a handle to launch yet more attacks

I agree that people don’t consider the huge impact their words have on those closest to the situation as CS has done here. Equally both Diana and Charles were both reactive and pig headed enough to massively humiliate and emotionally injury their own very young children by proactively going to the media on their affairs.

I think one of the really tragic things about Diana’s life, even more so than her marriage and divorce, is that she had no family to depend on. She was estranged from her mother and her brother before her death, regularly falling out with her siblings, all the while trying to navigate a marriage that was by all accounts pretty dreadful, an eating disorder and some serious mental health issues. She was basically on her own, her in-laws burying their heads , with only one or two friends to support her, which ended up with her looking for love in all the wrong places. But ultimately, none of her own family to swoop in and take care of her.

I think it's a good point re. how many people today are still interested in this story. Everytime there is a death anniversary milestone a new book seems to appear but how many living people will care by the time of the 40th or 50th year after her death.

I wonder how many under 50 are interested in the RF full stop. When I was a child the Queen was instantly recognisable (I am in my 40s), kids grew up with pictures of her in their home as their parents would have been ardent supporters and had plates, tea-towels and what not with her image. My own DC did not know who Camilla was when I showed them a picture. DD hazarded a guess it was Anne😆

Well said.

Charles, Camilla, QE and PP were all decades older than her. They had so much more experience, and by accounts were at best, negligent.

Agreed. That’s very sad.

I wonder if the timing is also because it’s possibly the last big anniversary before William is King.

Maybe be less likely to do things that will upset him when he’s King?