Piers Morgan has announced legal action against Earl Charles Spencer due to claims made in Spencer’s upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The memoir alleges Morgan reacted negatively when asked not to attend Princess Diana’s funeral.
Controversial Allegations
Spencer, Diana’s younger brother, wrote that he requested newspaper editors to refrain from attending the Westminster Abbey service after years of invasive media coverage of his sister. He noted most editors were puzzled but agreed, except for Morgan, who the memoir states responded with annoyance.
In response, Morgan, then editor of the Daily Mirror, denied the accusations, labeling them as “demonstrable lies” and indicating plans for legal action. It is unclear if the statements regarding Morgan’s reaction are the focus of this legal action. The memoir has yet to be published, and the full text remains unreviewed.
Media Pressure on Princess Diana
The memoir consistently addresses the intense media attention Diana faced, which Spencer asserts had profound impacts on her. The clash between Morgan and Spencer involves historic grievances and disputes over media behavior towards the Royal Family.
King Charles’s Reactions
In his book, Spencer claims that following Diana’s death, King Charles seemed “giddily elated” and allegedly mentioned forgetting her soon in a conversation about Diana’s sons, William and Harry. Buckingham Palace disputes these memories, attributing them to grief and time’s effect on memory.
Spencer defended his account in a BBC interview, citing consistent recounting of this conversation to friends and family. Meanwhile, associates of Charles, such as Dame Julia Cleverdon, dispute Spencer’s version of events.
Morgan Criticizes Spencer’s Stance
Morgan has also criticized Spencer for purported hypocrisy: condemning press treatment of Harry and Meghan Markle while making claims about King Charles in his book. Spencer previously commented on the negative media influence on Harry and Meghan’s lives, suggesting parallels to Diana’s experiences.
On social media, Morgan described Spencer’s actions as contradictory, given his simultaneous criticisms of the media and adverse portrayal of King Charles in the memoir.
The dispute adds to tensions already present due to responses to the memoir’s content, including from Buckingham Palace.
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