Royal row between King Charles and Earl Spencer

[Viviennemary]

Buckingham Palace said they don't usually comment but they can't stay silent. Apparently Prince Charles said at the time of Diana's death rest assured we'll forget her soon enough. Which is pretty horrendous. Charles has more or less said grief had clouded Earl Spencer's judgement and memory.

I don't know why he has waited nearly 30 years to come out with this.

Yes.

Otoh I read another quote that Philip said to the boys they 'might regret not doing it', so he would 'walk with them'. Books on Philip have also said he was influenced by walking behind his sister Cecilie's coffin after she died in a plane crash when he was a teenager. So there's conflicting accounts of why it happened.

Can’t take posts seriously if they contain the phrase “I can imagine”

@GoodGirlFaith The line I recall was KC asking his mother, in anger 'do you want her to come home in a Harrods van?' He was insistent on going to Paris to bring her back to the UK. I think I even read there was a swear word used.

Just to complicate the enmeshed history of the Spencers and the royals. I remembered that KC had this row with, the late, Robert Fellowes - who was the main advisor to the Queen, as the principal private secretary. Fellowes was married to Jane Spencer.

The whole performance when Diana died was a charade. Why did her ex-husband travel to Paris to accompany her body home? She was no longer his wife. Why was she given what was, to all intents and purposes, a state funeral? I think all the public lunacy made everyone lose their minds.

Why did her ex-husband and ex-father in law walk behind the coffin? I can certainly believe Charles had William and Harry there to protect him from being jeered or worse. If they’d done away with the whole ‘walking behind the coffin’ nonsense, it all could have been avoided for her sons.

Unfortunately money must be a factor in the book. He's had 3 divorces and onto his 4th wife and has 7 children. It would be hypocritical to criticise adultery.

Diana had a really difficult and toxic upbringing, which was the same for Charles Spencer...I'm not sure its fair to throw stones at KC who can't put his side of the story. Diana was charismatic but she wasn't a Saint.

It's awful that there is such a feud that has now passed down a generation to Harry. It's so unhealthy to keep rehashing events from 30 years ago and it's not helpful to anyone including the grand neices and nephews of Spencer.

Anyone who has gone through a bad marriage and divorce would hate family to be telling stories from the sidelines.

Dodi wasn't an affair during her marriage. Hewitt, Oliver Hoare etc were, though.

It would have been in the palace's interest to smear Spencer. Remember that.

I suppose because she was still the mother of the future king? This is a good point : would there have been a state funeral without the public outcry?

And why did the coffin walking happen? Certainly the boys shouldn't have had to do it.

The media were demanding charades and token gestures, they got into a tizzy about flags then started saying everything everyone was doing was wrong

The media had a massive incentive to find someone to blame for Diana’s death and what happened afterwards - the papers were really negative about her at the time and she was being chased by photographers when she died. Not a good look. So whipping up public sentiment and turning on the family quickly moved everyone on and they escaped any real investigation into the morality of their own behaviour.

I think Charles went to Paris out of respect for the mother of his children. He looked visibly distressed. I believe he’s basically a kind man.

@OneLilacHedgehog Which Charles?

What if they'd been attacked also? Sounds like he saw them as human shields, essentially!

would there have been a state funeral without the public outcry?
And why did the coffin walking happen? Certainly the boys shouldn't have had to do it.

I think it wasn't a full state funeral but I think this was part of the "problem".

Once you start going down that road towards a traditional Royal funeral-which parts do you do & what do you leave out?

Interesting family, the Spencers.

Diana’s grandmother connived with the old Queen mum to “ arrange” the match and marriage. The same woman (Lady Fermoy) then described her own daughter (Frances Shand Kydd) as a “bolter” when she left Johnnie Spencer, who allegedly was an aggressive bully who drank heavily and pressured her for a male heir, contributing to their deeply unhappy marriage and eventual bitter divorce.

Diana also wasn’t speaking to her own mother at the time of her death because of her criticism of her relationships with certain men.

As someone has commented further up thread, between them and the Windsors, it’s a bit like Eastenders, but with coronets and diamonds.

Don't ever forget how many affairs Diana had - and she was never concerned about their wives at all.

When I first heard it was happening the justification was along those line he was being approach constantly nearing the anniversary for comments so decided to write a book to put his memories forward. Heard another one that he's written about his early life and this was next stage to reflect on.

Not sure I'm convinced TBH - he will be making money and there were other ways to leave historcial record but then he's written many books so perhaps it seems a more natural route for him.

Tbh, and I’m no fan of the royal family, the speech Spencer made at the funeral was absolute clap trap and performative nonsense. and certainly wasn’t the place or time to settle any scores.

I did think this at the time - possible as a few commentators pointed out his ablity to do anything much for his newphews was very limited and his marraige was know to be on the rocks. So it did seem more about point scoring of RF - who he clearly hated.

I think her death caught them all of guard was a shock and everyone was emotional and how to proceed wasn't clear and did cause arguments and make greivances come out in harsh bitter words to each other.

Harry didn’t say it was untrue actually. He said the racism had been unconscious which is a different statement altogether.

That Buckingham Palace statement also said:

"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members."

and that hasn’t exactly turned out to be true has it?

I'm not sure there was a right thing to do in the tragic circumstances. Remember Blair has referred to her as the public's Princess do the Palace needed to afford her funeral with sufficient ceremony.

Should Charles Spencer have taken over? What would have been the reaction if the Palace/Queen had not been involved? The Queen was heavily criticised for not responding so they had to act.

Charles walked with his sons because he was their Dad, the closest relative ..should he have left them alone at the funeral?

The decision to involve the boys in the procession is now widely seen as wrong but it was seen at that time as appropriate. I know because as a child I did the same when I lost a parent. It was seen as being respectful.

We now know children should be protected but Diana's death and circumstances were so unique that many decisions made at the time were not correct. I don't believe it was malicious but were based on funeral preparations for a much older member of the Royal family dying, such as the Queen.

Hasn’t Charles Spencer been described as a vicious cruel bully ? I’m quite sure I read that he’d even admitted to it.
I wouldn’t believe a word that came out of his mouth regarding the RF.

I think that it what the Royals did at funerals - there are photos of some of her sons riding behind Q Victoria's cortege. And, of course, the photo of the teenage Prince Philip walking behind at his sister's funeral - flanked by brothers in law in Nazi uniforms.

He’s not the King of England and supposed role model

I am so tired of hearing from and about these tedious people. I cannot wait until we abolish the monarchy.

Let's face it, all families are a bit like Eastenders behind closed doors.

Why did he go collect her body? I have a feeling it was out of care for his sons. She is still the mother of his children, no matter what.

The public wanted a state funeral. It was appropriate that the boys were supported by their father walking behind the coffin, maybe even their grandfather.

Walking behind the coffin is tradition. I've heard the boys wanted to do it but regardless, I'm sure her sons took comfort in their mother being given the full bells and whistles, a good reason to do it. She is also the mother of a future king, another reason to do it.