Discussion about Charles Spencer's book - Swan Song : Diana, my sister , Beautiful, Beloved, Hunted.

[BasiliskStare]

I know there is a thread about the theft of some pre publication editions of this book.
This thread is more by way of a book club discussion about the actual book , the text. Threads will go where they will , but my intention is this is more for me to give my opinion on the book and for others who read it or are interested in the book to join in. I have pre-ordered from Kindle (half price otherwise I may not have 😊) But is only available on September 22nd. So a holding place if you like.

Why would I want to read a story 25 years later in an Australian news outlet?

I can read the story from the same weekend (unfortunately not the original News of the World story, as the paper has been shut down).
https://archive.is/KeRPp

I can also read the confirmation from one of Diana's friends, after Oliver Hoare's death
https://archive.is/S3idt

You will notice I have made no comment about any diagnosis, and have expressed my dislike of people doing so.

I find myself truly delighted that Charles Spencer managed to block Piers Morgan from attending Diana’s funeral. Now that demonstrates true brotherly affection if you ask me!

Also, I am delighted that this short lived spat draws attention to the fact that the then Mirror group agreed to pay Diana’s legal costs, of around £1 million, and it was obliged to further acknowledge its guilt by making donations of £200,000 to her chosen charities.” as a result of those awful gym photos.

People say she was paranoid. She wasn’t. But she was quite right to be very concerned when appalling photos like this were published and arose out of such a hideous invasion of privacy. How would any of us react to that?

I’m only part way through the book, but to me it feels more like a book about Charles Spencer’s life as Diana’s brother than a book about Diana

His dislike of the RF is very eminent throughout the book so far.

Thanks again @BasiliskStare - apologies for straying off topic.

Interesting that he doesn't really discuss her relationships.
Does it feels, reading it, like he's talking about her in relation to himself, rather than as a whole person?

Does he mention that they were not speaking at the end of her life?

I find myself truly delighted that Charles Spencer managed to block Piers Morgan from attending Diana’s funeral.

Given that she was regularly having lunch with him, it seems rather mean-spirited.

Also, I am delighted that this short lived spat draws attention to the fact that the then Mirror group agreed to pay Diana’s legal costs, of around £1 million, and it was obliged to further acknowledge its guilt by making donations of £200,000 to her chosen charities.” as a result of those awful gym photos.

I confess I don't see the benefit - it has probably just served to remind people of the photos, and to send a new online generation looking for them.

Given that she was regularly having lunch with him, it seems rather mean-spirited.

Anything that makes Piers Morgan “snarl with annoyance” is a very good thing in my book!

I confess I don't see the benefit - it has probably just served to remind people of the photos, and to send a new online generation looking for them

I hope it will illustrate very clearly to people under forty who have only heard the revised version of her life as authorised by KC and Camilla, what Diana had to contend with every day and how gamely she carried on despite such dreadful breaches of trust and privacy.

Apparently Morgan is not letting this go….

Raine was obviously a very forgiving person but it's not about that so much.

It's about Diana's true personality as opposed to how she was lauded in the press as a saint, which was far from the truth.

I always remember the utter shock when I heard she'd died. I'd taken then baby DD downstairs to get breakfast and turned on the TV to the news on every channel. I shouted upstairs to DH to come quick as it was like an emergency! I couldn't believe someone so famous had died like that and remember being a bit upset.

Ridiculous!

Oh dear. Spencer really ought to have been more thorough.

I agree, I googled the images earlier. She rightly received compensation for the invasion of privacy, good on her for forcing the paper to donate to her favourite charities. I think William did the same.

I hope it will illustrate very clearly to people under forty who have only heard the revised version of her life as authorised by KC and Camilla, what Diana had to contend with every day and how gamely she carried on despite such dreadful breaches of trust and privacy.

I think younger generations probably won’t get it, they are used to celebrities sharing everything on SM, I don’t think it will resonate.

I agree @Thedom there will be no incentive to buy or read it and while they may see a reference to it in a newspaper I don't think it will be of much interest . They are used to so much shite from the likes of Katie Price and others it won't register.

Good question. & I may have to reread to give a completely considered opinion.

It does feel like he is talking about her in relationship to himself. Particularly the bits about their early life ( which he describes as a very happy childhood) . There are parts where I think he is less than gruntled that the RF "took over Diana" - my paraphrase ) In parts , to me , it came across as him talking about her as part of the Spencer Family ( Capital S capital F of which he is clearly very proud ) There are more details about what this earl or that earl did as public / military service than I had much of an appetite for. But to be fair , he comes from a family where they thought they needed a male heir to take over the earldom and the estate, and being the current custodian was clearly A Big Deal. Raine , said his father Johnnie seemed to be marking time before he became the Earl. So not just himself , in relation to the Spencer dynasty - in my view

If I'm honest ( and to be fair in her later life CS does say she had sporadic fallings out with many people, including family. ) Yes I think a lot is her relationship to him ( but if it a memoir about "my Sister" I'm prepared to give him a bit of a by on that.) I think he genuinely tries to show her more spontaneous , funny side. He doesn't shy away from saying she could drop people if they annoyed her. I think I'm right he said last saw her (briefly) July 1st that year , but not for a meaningful talk. I'm prepared to be corrected on that. She had visited him in SA when she was looking for a house where she thought she and HK may be happy - so I can't remember how recent that was at the time.

He refers obliquely to JH and HK, no mention of the OH episode.

The other point I forgot to make is that society today is used to hearing about " scandals " and the like . They know that the RF are people just like them with family disputes and character positives and flaws. What was a big deal then is not now. They don't expect the RF to be exempt.

Well what a surprise!

PM likes nothing better than to puff himself up and splutter with outrage! Loudly! 😁. He must do as he does it so often!

I will never understand the support on this board for a man known for misogynistic comments in the workplace.

It just shows what some posters are prepared to overlook in order to continue to take the monarchy’s side over certain issues.

I am sure PM will go on stamping his foot over this for many days to come like an aggrieved toddler! And many of us will continue to ignore him.

I know I’m quite pedantic about things, but in his apology to Piers Morgan he refers to his sister as Princess Diana, this was never her title. At any point.

Given he then goes on to mention accuracy being important as a historian you’d have thought he’d use her proper title, just her first name (perfectly acceptable as her brother) or “my sister”.

I haven’t seen anyone support Morgan on here?

It’s a damn shame that laziness in fact checking the book has lead to Morgan being given the air space for his, legally correct, gripe.

Handing someone like that any kind of high ground to shout from is sheer stupidity.

No one thought she was a saint. She didn’t pretend to be. Part of her appeal was that unlike some members of the RF back then, she was very open about her faults and difficulties.

She was an ordinary person who found herself at an extremely young age, pushed in to an extraordinary situation. That’s all.

The only people calling her a saint nowadays are people who say it in order to refute it!

Well you have pretty much stated that as long as you don’t like someone or find them unpleasant, you not only don’t care if lies are told about them , you gleefully celebrate it!

I don't think she was a saint. She was very flawed and people loved that she admitted that

Did she admit it ? Was that why she did her tv interview? To say she was flawed? Did people love her when she talked about her affairs ? I'm not so sure. I'm sure some did but not everyone.

I agree, a limp apology!

"Accuracy is important to Earl Spencer."

That made me laugh. Well clearly it bloody well isn't if he's working on "assumptions" rather than checking his facts! I googled "when did Piers Morgan join Mirror Group" and there was the answer in seconds. It throws up a big question mark against the other claims made in his book.

😆

I think Piers Morgan is loud enough and strident enough to survive without your defence of him jeffgoldblum

Do you consider pushing someone down the stairs and showing no remorse afterwards defendable behaviour? That is way beyond having "faults and difficulties"

And one thing she very much was not was an "ordinary person", she was barely any more so than KC. Don't be ridiculous.

That's appalling. Apparently Piers Morgan is asking for the book not to be released now. How could anybody (especially a historian to whom facts are important!) allow their book to be released with such a libelous error?