Charles Spencer's Swan Song Review: Memoir Focuses on Score-Settling

Charles Spencer, the late Princess Diana’s brother, has released a 400‑page memoir titled Swan Song, which was serialized in the Daily Mail and later published as a single volume. The book offers a detailed account of the royal family’s inner workings and the media’s treatment of Diana, interspersed with personal reflections on the princess’s life and death. Spencer describes tabloid journalists as “those who inhabit the murky swamps of malevolence, and who need to suck their victims dry of their souls,” a characterization that has drawn criticism from some media watchdogs for its harshness.

A central claim in the memoir is that, shortly after Diana’s death, King Charles III allegedly told Spencer, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough,” a statement Spencer reports as “hissed.” The book’s narrative is heavily weighted toward Spencer’s own grievances, with several passages that some readers feel sensationalize the royal family’s conduct. The memoir has sparked debate over its accuracy and tone, with supporters praising its candidness and detractors questioning its reliance on anecdotal evidence and emotive language. The release has reignited public interest in the legacy of Princess Diana and the dynamics within the British monarchy.