It is the most extraordinary claim about events which are seared in the nation’s memory, from the brother of Princess Diana.
And the response from the Palace tonight has been unusually sharp.
Earl Spencer’s new book about his sister and the events which led to her death and funeral was always going to cause issues for Buckingham Palace and re-open wounds that are nearly three decades years old.
In the first part of the Daily Mail’s serialisation of Charles Spencer’s book, Swan Song, he recalls a conversation with the then Prince Charles in the days before Diana’s funeral.
There were discussing whether or not Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin.
It is Spencer’s recollection that the two men – Charles Spencer and the Prince of Wales – had a huge argument about it.
Earl Spencer writes, according to the serialisation in the Daily Mail: "Prince Charles continued his stream of anger, without me interrupting. Then he stopped.
"I assumed the pause signalled 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!’"
They are incendiary recollections, just a year before the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death.
Buckingham palace rarely reacts to claims made in books – there are, after all, many of them written about the Royal Family.
But given how damaging this all might become for King Charles, the palace deduced, on this occasion, it would make an exception
A palace spokesperson said: "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 colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
It rings very much of the “recollection may vary” response the late Queen Elizabeth made following claims made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021.
There has always been huge animosity between King Charles and Earl Spencer since the eulogy he gave – in such a damaging way – at Diana’s funeral.
They have never made amends.
But Earl Spencer, Diana’s younger brother, has never spoken before about the events of August and September 1997.
He had previously justified writing his memoirs in this way.
Spencer said: “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.
“As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana’s behalf and do so in an openly positive way.”
The book will be published on September 22.
In the Netherlands, police were already investigating the theft of four copies of his book from a lorry earlier this week.
This extract suggests there will be many more uncomfortable days for King Charles in the days ahead.
