Piers Morgan presses ahead with legal action after Earl Spencer apologises over Diana book error

Earl Spencer has apologised to Piers Morgan over a factual error in his new memoir, but the broadcaster says the apology will not stop his planned legal action.

Morgan confirmed on Tuesday, September 22, that Spencer had acknowledged the mistake in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which was published the same day. Despite that apology, Morgan said he intends to pursue legal action against Spencer and the book’s publisher, Penguin, seeking the removal of the disputed material and damages to be paid to the King’s Trust.

The claim at the centre of the dispute

The dispute centres on a passage in Spencer’s memoir concerning photographs of Princess Diana taken while she was exercising in a gym.

Spencer wrote that Morgan was responsible for the publication of photographs of Diana wearing a leotard in the Sunday Mirror four years before her death. The photographs were published on November 7, 1993.

Morgan strongly rejected the claim, pointing out that he did not join the Daily Mirror until October 1995. At the time the photographs appeared, he was working for The Sun, the Mirror’s rival.

The error was subsequently acknowledged by Spencer. A statement issued on his behalf said that he had made an incorrect assumption about Morgan’s role and apologised for the mistake. Future editions of Swan Song are expected to be amended to correct the point.

What Spencer wrote about the funeral call

The disputed passage goes beyond the photographs.

In the book, Spencer recalls contacting tabloid editors to tell them they were no longer welcome at Diana’s funeral. He described Morgan as the one editor who sounded particularly angry during their conversation, saying Morgan was “surly” before ending the call.

Spencer then connected Morgan’s alleged reaction to what he believed was a sense of guilt over the publication of Diana’s gym photographs.

While Spencer has apologised for the factual error concerning Morgan’s position at the Daily Mirror, he has maintained his account of the telephone conversation between the two men.

Morgan disputes that part of the account as well. He has said he was respectful during the call and has rejected Spencer’s description of his behaviour.

Morgan’s response to the apology

Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Morgan questioned how much confidence should be placed in the rest of Spencer’s account if such a basic detail about his career could be wrong.

Morgan pointed to the publication date of the photographs as evidence. They appeared in the Sunday Mirror on November 7, 1993, while he did not join the Daily Mirror until October 1995.

He also noted that, when the photographs were published, he was working on a showbiz column for The Sun. That placed him at a rival newspaper rather than in a position of responsibility at the Mirror.

Morgan argued that the timeline made it straightforward to challenge the claim and said the error was serious enough for him to continue with his legal plans.

Legal action will continue

Morgan subsequently confirmed on X that Spencer had apologised but said he was still pursuing legal action against both the author and Penguin.

His stated aim is to have the disputed material removed from the book and to seek damages that would be paid to the King’s Trust.

The broadcaster has also called for the offending material to be removed from copies of the memoir. The BBC has reported that Penguin intends to amend the relevant point in future editions, while the first edition remains at the centre of the dispute.

The disagreement therefore remains unresolved despite Spencer’s public apology. Spencer has accepted that his assumption about Morgan’s role in the publication of the photographs was wrong, while Morgan continues to challenge both that passage and the wider account of their conversation.

Swan Song: Diana, My Sister was published on Tuesday, September 22, and the dispute over Morgan is one of several controversial passages in the memoir.