Earl Spencer's book on Diana is stolen

[JustHereForTheShitsAndGiggles]

Warning - DM link ahead...
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

I also think that Harry and his friend Mark Dyer facing those accusations of from Sentebale might not end well.

None? They said they don't comment as a matter of principle and the response covers any and all possible claims in the book.

Wasn’t there a suggestion/fears the public might boo Charles if the princes were not walking behind the coffin? They should have just had members of Spencer family do the walk (if that had to happen). It was bizarre to see her ex husband and the FIL who didn’t like her acting as mourners.

@altesse
400,000 copies of Spare sold on its first day of release in the UK breaking records.
A lot of people wanted to read it.

For obvious reasons! It was a cracker.

I think the conclusion was that the public wouldn't boo because they'd be doing that to Diana's coffin.

@OctopusFriend
Yes it was
I think his uncle’s book will be similar

Yes, was that the business with Sophie C?

Yes, it is all very ‘he said, he said’.

Perhaps it's what the kitchen bin told him.
I suspect Harry's memory has been a bit shot.

And?

Where in my post did I say it sold poorly and no-one wanted to read it?

People called out the utter pish - sorry - varying recollections - in the book.

Scandal and outrage sells. All he did was show it didn’t need to be the truth. Maybe Cs’s book will be the same.

Dear god, I hope CS doesn't write about his todger.

Everyone else is lying about situation but Charles a known self confesed adulterer ie someone who lied and failed to keep his own vows - frankly crediblity is low with all of them and it was a chaotic and for some emotionally charged time and memories are unreliable.

I don't think Charles was in great place at time - it was a huge shock and I think his own popularity was extremely low -- and would have been surrounded by his own people with eye on his PR and not his role as a Dad.

Ultimtely I don't think anyone can prove anything so make a statement saying we remember different probably seems low risk.

I just think serveral different camps saying it was Charles idea is interesting - doesn't prove it was - but does suggest they may be something there and he does have very good PR people.

We can but hope.

Could make a nice Christmas campaign for Lizzie Arden though…

Well it was Blair and Spencer whipping up the crowds at the funeral, and the royal family trying (originally) to keep them up with family in Balmoral.

The Queen could (and possibly should) have come down on her own at first if necessary. The tabloids were being absolutely ruthless with the fake outrage. ‘Your people need you, Ma’am!’ etc. Ffs. But there was no need for the funeral circus.

I remember a Saturday seminar in Oxford I had organised for my university being cancelled for the funeral at the last minute because the building was being closed! Crazy days - thanks to the Sun and Mail etc.

This mud slinging from C Spencer for £££ is so uncouth. Whatever was said between the two men at a time of high stress and raw emotions is nobody else's business, it was a difficult time and CS is being a real arse for bringing Diana's memory up in such a Jeremy Kyle style.

At many funerals that I've been to, members of the immediate family have walked in, behind the coffin. It seems to me to be what people normally do. It was a longer walk for the five men/boys following Diana's coffin but not sensationally different from the normal custom. The cameras were away from them, not sticking in their faces. The crowds were bigger than at Joe Bloggs's funeral. If the boys had gone straight to the Abbey Charles and Philip and the Queen and Blair would have got the blame for that instead. Depriving the boys of the opportunity etc.

Especially if we have a cold snap

@11add1
I would say the book will sell in its millions.

Hopefully all this will make people realise how dysfunctional this family is and how we don’t need a Royal Family. I sometimes think the Royals could do anything and some people will defend them to the death… just look at Andrew…

I agree, and I think you're absolutely right about how there would have been criticism (especially from Harry) if they hadn't been allowed.

His Nazi SS adjacent sister lest we forget.

Is Philip somehow responsible for that? If not, what has it to do with this discussion?

It was also the funeral of his two young nephews who were killed in the crash.

Including a baby, born at the time. So tragic.

I actually thought this statement was repulsive. Sneering, sanctimonious faux-compassion. Basically claiming that ES was mad or lying

It's not the first time the RF have used this tactic, @Futurehappiness, but I happen to agree. The Queen's "some recollections may vary" followed some sensible comments about the seriousness of the allegations made, which for me lent a far better balance than this one contained

As said on the PR Disasters thread I neither believe nor disbelieve Spencer's claim, but think it was unwise to comment on it - partly because it invites questions if "the next one" goes unanswered, and also because, for all we know, he could have recorded the call

And what the hell's the point of saying books aren't commented on as a matter of principle, then going right ahead and commenting on it?

@upinaballoon
Did those funerals you attended have thousands of people wailing and shrieking as the cortège passed by?