Summary
Overview
The News Agents discusses Earl Spencer's explosive memoir serialization in which he claims King Charles said 'we'll forget Diana soon enough' after her death in 1997. The podcast examines why this 29-year-old family rift is resurfacing now, the palace's rare rebuttal, and how Diana's legacy continues to divide the royal family. They also cover Canada's pivot toward EU associate membership amid Trump's tariff war, and a lighthearted moment from London Assembly proceedings.
Earl Spencer's Memoir and the Palace Response
Earl Spencer has released a memoir claiming that King Charles told him 'rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough' about Princess Diana after her death. The palace issued a rare, swift rebuttal suggesting Spencer's grief may have 'clouded reason, affected judgment and coloured memory' - echoing the Queen's famous 'recollections may vary' response to Harry and Meghan. This marks an unusual departure from the royal family's typical 'never complain, never explain' policy, signaling their fury at Spencer's timing and revelations.
- Earl Spencer's eulogy at Diana's funeral in 1997 changed the tenor of that moment and set up a historical rift between the families
- Spencer claims in his new memoir that King Charles said 'rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough' about Diana
- The palace fired back almost immediately with a statement suggesting grief had clouded Spencer's reasoning
- The King's response updates the Queen's 'recollections may vary' phrase as a way of dismissing claims
" Recollections may vary as a way of saying, I don't think so. "
" I was talking to a good friend of the king's who said he's very upset. That tension, from what I'm hearing, is still present. "
Diana's Funeral and the Spencer Family Rift
The controversy centers on Diana's 1997 funeral, particularly the decision to have her young sons walk behind her coffin in front of billions worldwide. Earl Spencer's eulogy contained a veiled threat to the royal family about not turning William and Harry into 'manufactured mannequins' immersed only in duty and tradition. The applause that rippled from crowds outside Westminster Cathedral signaled public support for Spencer's position against the royals.
- Prince Harry was only nine years old when made to walk behind his mother's funeral procession, something he has reflected on as traumatic
- Spencer's eulogy included the line that the boys' souls should 'sing openly as you planned' rather than be 'immersed by duty and tradition'
- Applause rippled out from tens of thousands listening outside the cathedral - unprecedented for a royal funeral
- At the time there was discontent about the royal family not returning to London quickly enough and protocol around flags at half-mast
" Their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition, but can sing openly as you planned. That was absolutely a shot across the bowels of the royal family. "
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