Royal row between King Charles and Earl Spencer 2

[Viviennemary]

Buckingham Palace have said they won't be commenting further on the book. But I expect plenty of others will be and it's not even published yet so I started this second thread. I really liked Diana and thought she got treated shabbily by Charles. But really writing a book of gripes 30 years later is not on imho. I noticed on the news Harry declined to comment on it. Sensible decision for once.

Several recollections add up to build a picture. Harry said that no one mentioned Diana about a month after she died and he was expected to just go on as normal

Which seems slightly sociopathic in the circumstances.

Why exactly?

Yes but if as he claims, the Earl, an already credible author, advised people at the time/contemporaneously. As you would. Therefore balance of probabilities in his favour imho.

I'd say it's interesting in the palaces right now. Probably a load of press secretaries are scrambling to put media responses together

I wonder if it was some kind of shocked hysteria that made him (KC) say something inappropriate or lose his temper because CS was arguing with him, and CS was upset angry and a bit guilty ( as he hasn't spoken to Diana apparently before her death,) so neither men know what was said or not said really. Sometimes people can hear things they want to hear, and some people say inappropriate things when in shock. I doubt he was ' giddy with excitement' but I can believe he was highly stressed and upset which can make people act in the same way.

Giving Althorp to the nation is he?

BS he comes across as a measured and credible as well as loving brother and Uncle. For all we know H&W might already know. If it were me I’d want the truth.

People who expose wrongdoing, shouldn’t be treated as if they’re doing wrong. Exposure all the way.

A lot of the UK are brainwashed with Stockholm Syndrome.

No matter how much you tell people that it's not normal to have one family ruling over millions of people, they don't listen. They see Charles as kind of a god like figure. He's exactly the same as Joe down the street

Charles and Diana were on good terms when she died. That's a matter of record. There are photos of Charles, taken with a long lens, as he traveled back with Diana's body. They do not at all support the narrative Charles S is trying to push.

The best interpretation is that Charles S is misremembering events that happened 30 years ago when everyone was in shock and grief. For some reason he has decided that in writing a biography of his sister he needs to smear her husband.

Why would CS make this up? it’s very specific & the book would sell well regardless.

Bit left of field…

On good terms at the time? I remember a man said that he said to Prince Charles that he had met Diana, Charles said to him in reply "and you survived did you"

I think Spencer simply wants to get his truth out there while he still can. And there’s a wound there that has obviously never healed.
And as a hugely wealthy, entitled aristocrat, why would he lie? The Royals have seldom been renowned for telling the truth and certainly wouldn’t if their lives depended on it which, in this case, they arguably do. And when it comes to Diana, the perfidy of Charles and his behaviour is something they would dearly love to forget.

CS would be more credible if there weren’t already some very easy to fact check inaccuracies in the excerpts released.

The one about Frogmore feels very much to me designed to portray a story about the Queen offering the HRH back, when in fact CS’s statement that losing her HRH meant Diana couldn’t be buried there is simply incorrect.

Well said.

It’s part of the parasocial relationship

Prince Charles is odious. Diana didn't have much of a chance. I feel sad for her

Being “on good terms” when she died is rather more complicated than a few photographs taken from a distance can establish. Photographs of Charles travelling back with Diana’s body can show what he looked like at particular moments; they cannot tell us what had been said between them, what he felt, or what happened in private.

Nor does the fact that Spencer is writing about his sister automatically mean that he has invented or deliberately distorted his recollections to “smear” Charles. He was there, he was her brother, and he witnessed much of what happened around the funeral at very close quarters. His account is inevitably subjective, just as the Royal Family’s account of events is.

Of course Spencer can misremember details after thirty years, particularly given the extraordinary circumstances. But that cuts both ways. The sensible position is to distinguish what can be independently corroborated from what is Spencer’s recollection and interpretation, rather than dismissing his account simply because it is uncomfortable for Charles.

On a par with suggesting that the 9th Earl Spencer is taking on the establishment.

@JenRummy Why now? CS was really angry after Diana died, he’s a nasty piece of work it would appear.
He hasn’t sat on this for 30 years.

And the RF would be more credible if it weren’t for the whole Andrew thing

I agree this was my recollection. The ire and the blame was entirely on the press because it was thought she was being chased by paps. The press then started with the calling for The queen to say something. However, I don't remember them calling to see the children. Just the ' Where are you Maam' Sun headline. The children being brought down was unnecessary. They made that choice. They could also have refused. They have got away with plenty more.

More coming out.

Earl Spencer has said that Prince Charles sounded "like a lottery winner" after Diana died.

"Looking back now, I suspect the prince’s first reaction must have been to think more of how this event might free him to marry the woman he loved, rather than appreciating the loss of one he did not. It can be hard to feel too much sympathy for an ex-spouse, or those who care for them profoundly, after bitter divorce.”

Charles Spencer is a hypocrite.

He has multiple children with multiple women, if he lived on a different type of estate he would be treated very differently.

When he and his first wife Victoria were divorcing, he wanted it behind closed doors, the judge said no.
One of his mistresses from that marriage helped Victoria, she gave her letters that Spencer had written. In one letter he talks about not having a great deal of love for her (Victoria).
In an interview (Hello or Okay) Victoria talked about how Spencer was really keen to have a son. They had three daughters first.

All of Spencer's wives were someone's daughters, family member, friend but he didn't care about them.

Diana used to say that it annoyed her when people said that Charles never loved her, he did and they were happy for a time.

When Diana died Charles and Diana were divorced, Camila was very slowly being introduce to the public, things were going well. C and D were getting on much better.