Charles Spencer has backed calls for Prince Harry and Meghan to receive official security, saying the media treatment they face recalls the scrutiny endured by his sister, Diana, before her death.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of the publication of his book about Diana, the Earl Spencer said he favoured protection for the couple because of Harry’s position in the line of succession and his former military service.
“From a security aspect, as an uncle who’s seen his sister die in very, very preventable circumstances, I would veer towards protection,” he said.
Diana died aged 36 in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while photographers pursued her on motorbikes. Her death prompted widespread grief and renewed scrutiny of the media’s pursuit of the princess and coverage of her private life.
Spencer said the treatment of Diana, Harry and Meghan by the tabloids could be “really, really unpleasant”, adding that it was “beholden on people” to learn from what had happened.
Harry has challenged the decision to remove automatic police protection for him and his family after he stepped back from royal duties. Following a lengthy legal battle, the issue is now under review.
Charles Spencer’s claims about Diana
Spencer’s book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, has also drawn attention for its criticism of the relationship between Diana and her former husband, the now-King Charles.
He has alleged that the then Prince of Wales appeared “giddily elated” in the hours after Diana’s death and told him, in anger, that the world would soon forget her.
The palace responded by saying the King was “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”.
Asked how he could prove the conversations had taken place, Spencer pointed to his eulogy at Diana’s funeral, saying he had included a specific line in response to the alleged comments. He ended the address by saying she would “never be extinguished from our minds”.
Spencer said the book was intended to celebrate Diana’s life ahead of the 30th anniversary of her death. He described their childhood as never having “a dull moment” and said: “We both have ADHD. She was never diagnosed, but clearly we did.”
He added that his revelations would not surprise Harry or Prince William, and said he had chosen not to include many further details he knew about the King.
