Princess Diana’s Brother to Address ‘Untruths’ About Her Life and Death in Candid New Memoir

Nearly three decades after Princess Diana’s death, her brother Earl Spencer is preparing to tell her story from a perspective he says has too often been overshadowed by other people’s accounts.

The new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, will be published by Penguin Random House on September 22. Described by its publisher as “extraordinarily moving” and “remarkably candid,” the book will explore Earl Spencer’s life with Diana, their childhood together and the turbulent period surrounding her death in Paris in August 1997.

It will also address what Spencer describes as “untruths that have become accepted over time.”

The book arrives as the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death approaches and marks the first time her brother has written at length about her life.

Earl Spencer Says He Wants to Tell Diana’s Story ‘Once and for All’

Diana was 36 when she died following a car crash in Paris. In the decades since, countless books, documentaries and interviews have examined virtually every aspect of her life.

Spencer says the continuing requests for him to revisit his sister’s story ultimately convinced him to record his own memories.

“With the 30th anniversary of Diana’s tragic death on the skyline, I’ve been inundated yet again with requests for interviews about my sister,” he said while announcing the memoir.

“This has convinced me to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all, rather than having the discomfort of again reading the opinions of others, many of which are based on untruths that have become accepted over time.”

His intention, he said, is similar to the one he had when he stood inside Westminster Abbey and delivered his famous eulogy at Diana’s funeral.

“The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective, just as I attempted to do when speaking at her funeral,” Spencer said. “As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana’s behalf and do so in an openly positive way.”

From Diana’s Childhood to Her Marriage and Final Days

Swan Song is expected to cover Diana’s childhood as well as her marriage to the then Prince Charles, which ultimately ended in divorce.

The memoir will also revisit the tense days surrounding her death and funeral.

At Westminster Abbey in 1997, Spencer delivered a powerful eulogy that was heard around the world. During the address, he pledged that Diana’s “blood family” would play a role in protecting her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, who were still young at the time.

The speech drew applause from crowds outside the Abbey and became one of the defining moments of the funeral.

It later emerged that behind the scenes there had been disagreement over whether William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin.

They ultimately joined their father, the then Prince Charles, Prince Philip and Earl Spencer in the procession.

Harry revisited that moment in his 2023 memoir Spare, writing that his uncle had opposed the idea of the boys participating and described it as “barbarity.”

Spencer Hopes Younger Readers Will Understand Who Diana ‘Really Was’

For Earl Spencer, however, the new book is intended to reach beyond the controversies that have surrounded his sister’s life and death.

He hopes readers who remember Diana will recognize the person they admired, while younger generations who never experienced her enormous public presence will gain a better understanding of her character.

“I hope this book will be of interest to the many who still cherish the memory of Diana when she was alive,” he said.

Spencer added that he would be delighted if those too young to remember his sister came away feeling they understood “who she really was.”

He described Diana as “a one-off, dynamic character, full of love, charisma and self-doubt,” who “gave life a hell of a go” and left the world better despite dying so young.

Diana’s Death Remains Deeply Personal for Her Brother

Spencer has previously acknowledged that the enormous public interest in his sister can still be emotionally difficult for him.

Speaking on Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud podcast last year, he explained that he finds it difficult when strangers tell him where they were when Diana died. He also said he becomes “fundamentally unhappy” around the anniversary of her death.

Reflecting on Diana’s enduring connection with the public, Spencer said her legacy means different things to different people, particularly women who were of a similar age.

“They really invested their lives in hers,” he explained.

Some may have recognized elements of their own experiences in Diana’s struggles, whether through an unhappy marriage or an eating disorder.

“There’s plenty of Diana to look into and take your bit out of,” Spencer said, comparing the phenomenon to a horoscope in which people can find something that resonates with their own lives.

Diana Remains at the Heart of Althorp

Diana is buried at Althorp, the Spencer family estate in Northamptonshire, which is now overseen by her brother.

The estate remains an important private connection to Diana for her family.

Last month, Prince Harry returned to Althorp with Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is believed that the family visited Diana’s grave during their time there.

That continuing connection between Diana, her sons and the Spencer family forms part of a story that has remained intensely scrutinized for almost 30 years.

Now her brother intends to offer his own account.

Publisher Promises ‘Revelations’ in the Memoir

Penguin Random House publishing director Daniel Bunyard described Swan Song: Diana, My Sister as a work of “historic importance,” given both its subject and the uniquely personal position of its author.

He noted that Spencer approaches the book not only as Diana’s brother but also as an experienced memoirist and historian.

According to Bunyard, those perspectives combine in a book that is “extraordinarily moving, beautifully written and remarkably candid.”

He also indicated that the memoir contains new material likely to generate significant attention.

“While these pages contain many revelations that will draw considerable attention,” Bunyard said, readers will also find “a fitting tribute to the beloved woman who was Princess Diana.”

Featuring a black-and-white photograph of Diana on its cover, Swan Song is ultimately being presented not simply as another examination of one of the 20th century’s most famous women, but as her brother’s attempt to reclaim part of her story from decades of speculation and competing accounts.

Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is scheduled to be published by Penguin Random House on September 22.