Princess Diana told her brother Charles Spencer that Prince Charles was in love with his valet as she prepared to end her marriage, according to an upcoming memoir. Earl Charles Spencer revealed the private conversation in his book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, prompting a rare public denial from Buckingham Palace.
A forthcoming memoir by Earl Charles Spencer has reignited historical scrutiny surrounding the breakdown of Princess Diana’s marriage to then-Prince Charles. In Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which is slated for publication on September 22, 2026, the 9th Earl of Spencer recounts a private lunch at the London restaurant San Lorenzo where his sister disclosed her intention to divorce.
The sibling pair, who frequently used the affectionate nicknames “Duch” and “Carlos,” discussed the impending split when Diana made a startling assertion about her husband’s personal life according to an excerpt published by The Daily Mail. The revelation adds a distinct private claim to the historical record of the royal separation, which culminated in their official divorce in 1996 after they had separated in 1992.
Inside the Private Lunch and the Valet Revelation
During their meeting at San Lorenzo, Earl Spencer warned his sister about the potential public fallout of ending a royal marriage that many had viewed through the lens of a fairy tale.
Diana responded by offering a specific explanation for why she felt the marriage was beyond repair.
“But, Carlos, my husband is in love with his valet.”
Princess Diana, via memoir excerpt published in The Daily Mail
Earl Spencer noted in his memoir that he gulped at the statement and replied that she truly had no other choice. According to the text, Diana did not name the specific staff member, and her brother did not ask for clarification. He wrote that the identity of the individual was unimportant compared to the finality of her shattered marriage and dreams.
Revisiting the 1995 Panorama Interview and the “Crowded” Marriage
The new memoir excerpt has drawn immediate comparisons to Diana’s historic November 1995 BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir. During that broadcast, which ultimately prompted Queen Elizabeth II to urge the couple to divorce, Diana famously addressed the third-party dynamics in her household.
“Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
Princess Diana, 1995 BBC Panorama interview
While public understanding of that remark universally pointed toward Charles’ long-running relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles—whom Charles eventually married in 2005—Earl Spencer’s book introduces a separate private claim. The author emphasizes that he is documenting his sister’s personal perspective and beliefs at the time rather than confirming the factual accuracy of the valet allegation itself.
Buckingham Palace Responds With Grief Warning and Gaslighting Claims
The memoir excerpts have already sparked friction between Earl Spencer and the royal household. In another section of the book serialized by Fox News, Spencer alleged that Prince Charles made a callous remark during a phone call six days after Diana’s August 1997 death in a Paris car crash, telling him that we’ll forget her soon enough!
over disagreements regarding William and Harry walking behind their mother’s funeral casket.
Buckingham Palace issued a rare response addressing the memoirs claims, stating that His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment, and color memory over time. Palace representatives declined to comment further on the book as a matter of principle.
Earl Spencer pushed back fiercely against the palace’s statement during an appearance on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, accusing the monarch of attempting to discredit his recollection.
“It is not every day you wake up to find you’ve been gaslit by the king. It was astonishingly provocative and below the belt because it was essentially trying to say I’d lied without the King being able to deny what I’d said.”
Earl Charles Spencer, via BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
Spencer added that the palace’s phrasing felt like a poor imitation of their famous recollections may vary
statement issued following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. As the release date for Swan Song approaches, the ongoing exchange highlights how deeply the personal conflicts surrounding the late princess continue to resonate within the royal family decades after her passing.