Recommended
Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, has placed the royal family at the center of controversy with new details about what happened after Lady Di's death.
In an excerpt from his upcoming memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Earl Spencer recounts his concern for the then-Prince Harry, who was just 12 years old when he lost his mother, and questions the attention he received during those days.
- LEE MÁS: Aleks Syntek rompe el silencio tras polémico concierto y admite: “Me comporté como niño chiquito”
Spencer especially remembers Princess Diana's funeral, held on September 6, 1997, when he walked behind the coffin alongside the then-Prince Charles, Prince Philip, and teenagers William and Harry.
According to his words, he was shocked to see how small and vulnerable Harry looked during the funeral procession, which led him to wonder how a child who had just lost his mother could endure an experience of that magnitude.
Spencer also remembers a detail that, decades later, he still considers one of the most painful images of that day: the flowers placed on the princess's coffin with a card that had the word “Mummy” written on it.
The princess's brother recounts in his memoir that, during the procession, he tried to look out for Harry, and at a moment when they were shielded from the public gaze, he leaned over to give him a hug and say: “Well done, Harry! You're doing great!”
In addition to this, the Earl highlighted a fact in his book: a contrast in the behavior of the two brothers. In his memoirs, he describes William, who was 15 years old, as more composed and mature during the funeral, while Harry seemed much more fragile to him.
The Earl explains that this difference meant his concern was focused especially on the younger prince, whom he saw facing grief from a particularly vulnerable position.
It was after the funeral that, according to Spencer, his concern for Harry increased. Recalling the train journey to Althorp, he claimed he perceived a “lack of attention” toward the teenager while he was trying to recover from what had happened.
In this context, he wrote that instead of receiving calm and affection, “he was allowed to spiral out of control,” an interpretation by Spencer regarding the way the family environment handled the then-prince's grief.
“Of course he needed Diana's hugs, and they would be denied to him forever. But instead of calm and affection, he was allowed to spiral out of control,” the Earl accused, highlighting the problems and rebellious behaviors Harry had in his youth, as well as his beginnings with alcohol and drug use.
The book adds other revelations from Swan Song that have already sparked a strong reaction regarding the royal family. Spencer also claims he had a heated phone conversation with the then-Prince Charles over the decision for William and Harry to walk behind their mother's coffin. According to his version, Charles allegedly uttered the phrase: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough”.
Buckingham Palace responded that grief can affect memories and judgment over the years, while Spencer has subsequently insisted that he is telling the truth.
[Publicidad]