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.

He refused that house because it had tenants, plus his security said it was too near a min road and her safety could not be guaranteed. It wasn't refused on a whim.

Ok . 👌

unfortunately the loss of her will resonate through the ages.

Many, if not most, young people don't know who she was.

You know I thought that, and I was surprised to find there is a community of under 25s sharing photos of her on social media. They seem her as the original influencer.

Long term she will never be totally forgotten because of her groundbreaking hiv work.

79% of 18 to 24 year olds recognise her from her photo. So they do know who she is. And 71% have a positive opinion of her.

So did I!

He’s just sold off land for £60 million as well so I doubt this book publication is prompted by money.

https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/916015/never-ending-issue-charles-spencer-estate-princess-diana-childhood-home/

Harry’s Spare which broke a lot of publishing records “only” made $27 million which is just over £20 million in sterling.

So I think this book is about settling scores rather than making money.

Crikey, it’s got three separate titles in one?

Swan Song
Diana, my sister
Beautiful, Beloved, Hunted

It’s quite trendy these days to give a book three titles, I think. Is it for the SEO optimisation?

Anyway, has anyone worked out yet what Diana’s ‘swan song’ actually was?

Spencer offered her ‘Wormleighton’ (Warwickshire) according to his TwiX account. He has reportedly successfully sued on this particular point. It’s his pinned tweet. I have no idea how much of the Manor House remains would have been available for family habitation in the 1990s.

In an earlier interview he says he offered Diana ‘100 houses’ (which is patently dramatic nonsense) and says she refused to look at any. It does seem like a very muddled account and obviously the main party to it is dead and can neither correct him nor enlighten us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormleighton_Manor

I watched both Robert Jobson and. Matt Wilkinson of the Sun today. They both don't believe CS. Jobson implied that KC was a bit of a womanizer and not likely to love his valet. Wilkinson defended KC very passionately.

It's very odd those four missing copies haven't shown up.

I wonder if they’re with lawyers (the missing copies) to get a head start for someone else who’s mentioned, and actually still alive?

It was such an odd theft, yes.

This sums it up

https://www.aol.com/articles/meghan-markle-triggers-fury-posting-195800000.html

Earl Spencer’s swan song: more blast than lament, or proof

The earl’s claim about the King’s tone on the night his former wife, Princess Diana, died in a car crash is the least of his accusations

Anyone please got a share token? This looks interestingly cynical, or at least cynically interesting.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/earl-spencers-swan-song-more-blast-than-lament-or-proof-qb9bdgjzl

Apparently it's his own swan song, because both his parents died in their seventies.

The Times article was shared on another thread

https://www.thetimes.com/article/2e98ea81-3855-4399-9066-1d8384e2810d?shareToken=3f091e7c6fe0f1ea744a44f253299451

The premature deaths are hardly surprising considering the 'heavy drinking' in the Spencer family

@CrowOfTheAutumn

"Spencer offered her ‘Wormleighton’ (Warwickshire) according to his TwiX account. He has reportedly successfully sued on this particular point. It’s his pinned tweet. I have no idea how much of the Manor House remains would have been available for family habitation in the 1990s."

In the 90s Wormleighton Manor was a big family house (and still is). It is misleading to call it 'remains'. The 'remains' are the remains of the once massive house pre-Civil War - they'd manage to tidy up the damage in the subsequent 400 years!

It is also 20-odd miles away from Althorp - maybe he wasn't keen on having his sister on the doorstep.....

I think that Times article is very interesting. Particularly this " Spencer is an accomplished journalist and historian himself. He will, we must suspect, be aware that there is a subtle difference between the phrases “a lightness in his tone” and “giddily elated, like a lottery winner”. The jackpot victory metaphor is not a minor one. "

May I just apologise in advance to all that it is me who has volunteered to read the book and give my opinions rather than Tom Peck 😊

In their 60s

He publicly said that security was a major issue. So no need for the nasty aside.
The interest in Diana was insane. Security needed to be top notch and that is not possible if there are roads nearby.
They can't just close public access to land they don't own like William and Catherine can.

Very happy to have you reading, @BasiliskStare.

Also happy for the direct quotation from the article, given that share tokens for Tomes articles time out so access is lost.

Does he, Kuenssberg wondered, have any proof, any evidence, did he write it down or tell anyone? Well, no, not quite, but he did claim that the final words of his famous eulogy at his sister’s funeral, that “she will never be extinguished from our minds,” was “a direct rebuttal”.

I suspect many of us have heard eulogies that end with assurances that the person being spoke of 'will never be forgotten'.

I saw him in the interview. Gosh he looks bad.

Catherine and William don't close land they don't own. The security services apply for the relevant orders so they can establish a security cordon.

It's quite remarkable that some posters are claiming CS's account has been 'corroborated' by 'journalists' and 'notes', if he himself admits that he didn't tell anyone nor write it down 🤔

Agree that 'they will not be forgotten' is so standard in a eulogy that it would have been very odd not to have said it.

Well, Diana was frequently briefing press and photographers as to her whereabouts (all this came out on her later inquest and the Bashir investigation) and Spencer was seemingly aware of the havoc she’d wreak if she was at Althorp? He and his family were still in England, I think, not yet in South Africa.

I wonder why she turned down Wormleighton Manor if it was so suitable?