Hunt: King Charles is ‘clearly absolutely incandescent’ about Charles Spencer’s book

Wednesday evening’s British newscasts and talk shows were full of commentary about the Earl Spencer’s extraordinary revelation about King Charles. Charles Spencer writes in Swan Song, his memoir of his sister Princess Diana, that days after Diana’s 1997 death, he and then-Prince Charles got into a heated argument over whether Prince Harry and Prince William would walk behind their mother’s casket at the funeral. Charles Spencer writes: “Prince Charles continued his stream of anger, without me interrupting. Then he stopped. I assumed the pause signaled an effort to bring himself under control, but then he unleashed down the phone what I have always taken to be his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death. ‘Rest assured,’ he hissed, ‘we’ll forget her soon enough!’”

That passage – the first released through Charles Spencer’s serialization with the Daily Mail – caused immediate impact and global headlines. Buckingham Palace rushed out an ill-conceived statement, gaslighting Diana’s brother: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss.” Former BBC royal reporter Peter Hunt called out this statement for what it is, in no uncertain terms: “He’s clearly absolutely incandescent… there are times when silence is the right answer. He has boosted the sale of this book, and there are times when you don’t dignify [that]…. The content of [the palace’s statement] is royal gaslighting…”

“The content of it is royal gaslighting.”

“Lord Spencer could’ve also not press send or publish.”

Peter Hunt, the BBC’s former Royal Correspondent, and Lord Finkelstein, Conservative Peer, react to Buckingham Palace’s response to claims in Earl Spencer’s new book that, days… pic.twitter.com/uubAeARwbK

— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) September 16, 2026

Royal commentator Dick Fitzwilliams also spoke about the palace’s “extraordinary statement” and saying “There is no question that the King is absolutely furious.” LMAO. Imagine being a literal king and being so consumed with incandescent fury over someone simply talking about your asinine and offensive behavior.

‘It is an extraordinary statement, there is no question that the King is absolutely furious.’

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams analyses the Palace’s response to Lord Spencer’s claims regarding the King’s comments upon Princess Diana’s death. pic.twitter.com/y1H7rGne8D

— GB News (@GBNEWS) September 16, 2026

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.