Charles Spencer Has Spoken to Nephews Prince William and Prince Harry Since the Release of His Princess Diana Book

Stephanie PetitMon, September 28, 2026 at 3:37 PM UTC

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Prince William; Charles Spencer; Prince HarryCredit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty; Karwai Tang/WireImage -

Charles Spencer said in a new interview with CBS Mornings that he’s spoken to Prince William and Prince Harry since the release of his new book

The 9th Earl Spencer said he told both of his nephews at the same time about Swan Song: Diana, My Sister

He told PEOPLE, “I think it’s natural that people so in the public eye are concerned how they will come across in the book”

Charles Spencer says he’s been in touch with Prince William and Prince Harry since the release of his new book about their mother, Princess Diana.

The 9th Earl Spencer sat down with Gayle King on CBS Mornings on Monday, Sept. 28, to discuss Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, his book released last week. During the interview, King said she was “curious about their reaction.”

Spencer, 62, said, “I decided not to have anyone involved in the book, so no one knew about it except my wife, obviously, and the publishers. I didn’t tell any of the family until just before it was released publicly as a thing because I didn’t want anyone to think — particularly with Harry, who people know I had to stay in the summer — that he was in any way involved in this. It was really important for me that they weren’t.”

King then asked, “Have you talked to them after the book?” to which Spencer replied, “Yes, I have.”

When she followed up by asking if his nephews “approve” of the book, Diana’s brother said, “I don’t know. I haven’t asked about approval. Harry was sort of like, ‘Is there anything in there that would be embarrassing to me?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ I’m very specific about people’s privacy.”

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE this month, Spencer said he told Prince William and Prince Harry — as well as his two other sisters, Lady Sarah and Lady Jane — about the book “exactly the same time.”

“I can say that Harry is completely fine about it. He said, ‘I hope there’s nothing embarrassing about him in it. I said, ‘There isn’t.’ I think they were actually worried where I was going up to with the book. It pretty much ends in 1997 with Diana’s death, and there’s a tiny postscript by the grave. So I think there was this, ‘Gosh, what’s he written about?’ And I think it’s natural that people so in the public eye are concerned how they will come across in the book. But I could reassure both of them that they’re, of course, in the book, but really as examples of two little boys who had the most exceptional mother; I’m not in any way compromising their privacy at all.”

As for his sisters, Spencer shared he believes they are “still digesting” their reactions to the book, despite his assurance that it is a “pure celebration” of Diana.

“I think they were hurt that I hadn’t told them, to be honest,” he admitted. “I said, ‘I was going to hurt you either way, because I was either going to tell you and still write it how I wanted it. It wasn’t going to be a committee effort.’ ”

“I wanted them to be able to put their hand up and say, ‘Well, we didn’t know he was doing it,’ in case there’s backlash or whatever. So they’re totally innocent parties in this. This is very much a brother’s view,” Spencer added.

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Spencer wrote about being against Prince William and Prince Harry, who were 15 and 12 when Diana died, walking in their mother’s funeral procession, a position that caused a heated exchange with then-Prince Charles. He shared with PEOPLE that he was told the brothers had “decided that they wanted to” take part in the walk through London.

“I remember saying, ‘Well, as long as they haven’t been dragooned into it.’ Obviously they shouldn’t have walked. Nobody now can possibly think that was the right thing to do,” he said.

When asked if he felt guilt about not stopping William and Harry from taking part in the funeral procession, Spencer said, “Yeah, I have actually. And about 10 years ago, well, on the 20th anniversary, we sort of chatted a bit about it, but I don’t think there’s anyone alive who thinks that was a good idea now.”

Prince Philip, Prince William, Charles Spencer, Prince Harry and King Charles at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997Credit: David Levenson/Getty

After the Daily Mailpublished the first preview of the book, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said, “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss.”

Spencer doubled down on his recollections in a BBC interview, saying, “I’m telling the truth.”

Revelations from Spencer’s book include his claim that the future King Charles sounded “giddily elated” when they spoke hours after Princess Diana’s death and Princess Diana’s claim that her husband was “in love with his valet.”

Spencer told PEOPLE, “This book, in my view, is something [Diana] would like. She always loved it when I paid compliments, and this is 350 pages of compliments.”

What’s more, he added, “I think this does give me the opportunity to lay certain myths to rest.”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”