Friends of King Charles have defended him following allegations made by Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, in his upcoming memoir.
Spencer reportedly claims that the then-Prince Charles told him, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough,” following Diana’s death in 1997.
The alleged comment was reportedly made during a disagreement about whether Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, should walk behind her coffin at the funeral. Spencer was against the idea.
King Charles took the unusual step of responding to the claim through a spokesperson on Wednesday. The spokesperson suggested that personal grievances could affect a person’s “reason, judgment and memory.”
Friends of the King have now rejected Spencer’s account.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, people close to Charles said the alleged comment was “just not in the King’s nature.” They also said he would not have used such language about Diana.
One source said Charles was deeply affected by Diana’s death at the time.
“It certainly wasn’t in his nature at that time, when he was a man absolutely grievance-stricken,” the source said.
The confidant also claimed that Charles went against royal protocol to make sure Diana received a full ceremonial funeral similar to a state funeral.
Earl Spencer delivered a powerful and defiant speech at Diana’s funeral on September 6, 1997, nearly a week after her death. His eulogy was later recognized as one of the most notable speeches of the 20th century.
