Charles Spencer: ‘The tragedy of the royal family was not knowing how to embrace the opportunity that my sister Diana represented’

Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, has decided to record his memories and, in some way, also preserve the public memory of his sister, Lady Diana. At 62, he has just published Swan Song: Diana, My Sister (2026), less than a year before the 30th anniversary of her tragic death in Paris.

His interview with EL PAÍS takes place at Althorp, his family’s country estate north of London, in Northampton. Nothing could be more aristocratic than this setting, where ancient oak trees, rolling green hills and sheep as soft as pillows greet visitors as they approach the historic home. Diana, Princess of Wales, is buried on the grounds.

Surrounded by portraits of his ancestors, painted by Joshua Reynolds, the London-born earl tries hard to distance himself from royal affairs. However — despite having faced criticism for it — he doesn’t avoid pointing out the contempt with which, as he recalls, the then-Prince of Wales handled the death of his ex-wife. That prince is now King Charles III.

Question. Why this book? And why now?

Answer. For a combination of two reasons. Both my parents died around the age of 60. I’m 62. [I was in] the perfect state of mind to undertake this project. Also, the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death is approaching (it falls on August 31, 2027). Everyone was asking me for an interview. I came to the conclusion that, once and for all, for Diana’s sake and for my own, I wanted to set the record straight for posterity.

Q. It might seem obvious, but the book offers the perspective of a brother who loved his sister very much. And he wants to tell the readers who she was.

A. Diana was an international phenomenon. That’s why you’ve come all the way to Althorp to interview me. But, at the same time, it’s difficult to try to explain that she was someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, or someone’s aunt. The book is a brother’s unapologetic account, whether as a child looking up to her physically, [or] for leadership — because she was a good leader — throughout the years.

The book is her story, told by a brother… but also, to a large extent, it’s my own story.

Q. You write that your sister adored black swans and that an admirer sent four of them to the small island on this estate’s lake, where she’s buried. Was Diana the black swan at Buckingham Palace?

A. Black swans are also sometimes harbingers of catastrophes… although that wasn’t the case here. I think, when she got married in July of 1981, all of us in the family thought it was lovely: we hoped she had a great life ahead of her.

In those years, the British royal family was a beloved old institution in the background, not receiving much attention. Outside the country, everyone knew we had a queen, but there was no great interest on a personal level. But Diana changed all of that in a day. When she walked down the aisle on my father’s arm, she captured the world’s attention. There were 750 million people watching the wedding. And I think the tragedy for the royal family is that they didn’t embrace this enough. They thought, “What’s this? This is disruption, a black swan.” Rather than thinking “this is a swan that should fly… and we’ll all be better for that.”

Q. I’m amazed at how you portray the complexity of your sister: she was a reader of Barbara Cartland’s romance novels who, at the same time, championed universal causes.

A. She was highly complex. And she was raised in a very traditional environment with a terrible education. It’s embarrassing how poorly educated my three sisters were. Diana had learning difficulties that were never diagnosed. This has to do with the attitudes toward gender at that time: I received the best education, [while] my sisters were sent to places where they learned to be proper young ladies.

Diana went out into the world with a very poor education. I don’t think anyone educated rushes to read Barbara Cartland. And this isn’t a criticism: I think it was a real handicap. [She entered public life] with unformed ideas, but she had a passionate heart and a very keen eye for what mattered. That’s why she amazed people. She had a natural gift for leading important campaigns, like advocating for people with AIDS at the time. She was brave; she had the heart of a lioness, which she demonstrated on many occasions.

Q. You’ve written several history books. There’s a real penchant among British historians for “what ifs.” They like to ask: “What if things had turned out differently?” So, what would have become of Diana if she were alive today?

A. I think she would still be a relevant figure. There was a phase, right after her separation [from Prince Charles], when she thought that she could return to a private life. Living in the countryside and all that. But, at the same time, something inside her drove her to do great things. When she came to spend a few days with me in Cape Town, a few months before she died, she told me she wanted to meet Nelson Mandela. And I think that he was a little bit in love with this beautiful young girl, in a nice way. They were going to tackle AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. So, you know, I could still see her doing great things today.

Q. Given the estrangement between the king and his son Harry, and between the two brothers, one wonders if things would have been different with Diana still alive.

A. When there’s division among children, it’s heartbreaking for the parents. I think she could have mended the relationship. She was a wonderful mother and she would have done everything possible to resolve things. But I’ve seen family divisions… and sometimes it’s not the obvious causes of disruption that are keeping people apart. Every situation has tiny tensions and problems that no one can see from the outside. It’s the people in it who can see the problem… and maybe they can’t do anything about it.

Q. In the book, you directly criticize certain sectors of the press, just as you did 30 years ago. Do you think anything has changed?

A. The press in the UK was shaken by Diana’s death because they knew that, in part, it was their fault. The paparazzi were out of control. It took them a couple of years, but they realized that things couldn’t go on like that. Some have admitted it to me privately, others publicly.

I don’t think British citizens would allow something like that to happen again. More restrictive legislation was passed… and the press accepted it.

Q. This isn’t your first book… meaning that you know the impact it can have. Your recollection of a conversation with the then-Prince of Wales, shortly before Princess Diana’s funeral, has caused quite a stir, to the point that Buckingham Palace has come out to question your memories and your statements.

A. [Charles] told me, referring to Diana, “We’ll soon forget her.” And it was so jarring. He said this to me shortly before I delivered my sister’s eulogy, after a major disagreement: I didn’t want William and Harry to walk behind the coffin, because I thought it was monstrous. And he was very insistent that they should.

We’ve already seen that [Charles III] has a very strong temper. You know, when he was signing the document after his coronation — people have seen it — he lost his temper [because of a fountain pen].

Sometimes, when we’re angry, we say things we don’t mean. But I was obliged to put those words [into the book]. First of all, because he had attacked Diana and my family as not having a sense of duty — which is just wrong. Second, because, as a journalist, you speak truth to power. And third, because, as a historian, you speak the truth.

I knew this would be controversial, but I also kept many things to myself that were borderline. But I had to share this, because it explained my closing remarks in the eulogy, when I said that “she will never be extinguished from our minds.” That was a direct rebuttal of what he said.

Q. In the book, you suggest that members of the monarchy have something of a superior nature about them…

A. No, I don’t think they do. But we were raised to think that way, in a very traditional environment. The queen was seen as semi-godlike in my family, especially for my father. He could speak to anyone with poise, but in the presence of Elizabeth II, he would just smile and lose his voice. He only wanted to please her.

Q. But Prince Charles has grown up: he’s finally king. And it seems that British citizens are accepting this as something that’s perfectly ordinary.

A. Don’t think I’m trying to dodge your question, but the truth is, I don’t really follow the affairs of the royal family very closely. Not out of hostility — it’s simply something that doesn’t mean much to me, even though some might assume that, because of my sister, I should be interested.

The queen was exceptional; everyone agrees on that. In Charles’s case, I think there’s a belief that he’s done a decent job… but there’s little more I can say. Some people were speculating it would be a disaster because he had so many opinions and all that. But so far, he hasn’t [voiced any]; he hasn’t interfered in public affairs.

Q. In the book, you explain how, from the very beginning, you feared for the future of your two nephews without Diana. What’s your relationship with them like?

A. Those little boys who attended their mother’s funeral are now two men in their forties. My role is to be there when they need me, but in the background. In Harry’s case, he sometimes needs me. That’s why he brought his family to stay here in Althorp this summer. I’m here for when he needs a shoulder to cry on, or whatever. That’s what family is for. For me, he’s one of the two boys my sister left in this world.

I don’t speak to them every day. I think in England we’re less close. But I’m always here for him.

Q. But Diana was always kissing and hugging her sons, in a very expressive way. Like us, in Spain.

A. Absolutely! And how wonderful! I think Diana had a real connection with the Spanish people, beyond, obviously, the tabloid magazine, ¡Hola! They saw in her a kindred spirit… something surprising, [since she was] coming from the British royal family. I think the Spanish could see that this very British girl also had a Mediterranean spirit.

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