Earl Spencer, brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has claimed that King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, told him that the public would forget Diana "soon enough" in the days following her death.

These assertions are detailed in an extract from Spencer's forthcoming memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," published by the Daily Mail. The book is expected to offer a critical perspective on the Royal Family's handling of the period after Diana's death in a 1997 car crash.

Spencer alleges that Charles subjected him to a "stream of anger" over the phone after he insisted that Diana would not have wanted her sons, Princes William and Harry, then aged 15 and 12, to walk in her funeral procession. The then-Prince of Wales reportedly viewed Spencer's objection and the public's intense grief with "contempt" and "horror."

Buckingham Palace has strongly refuted the claims. A spokesperson stated that while they do not comment on books, "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."

Diana's death triggered an unprecedented outpouring of public grief, and the Royal Family faced accusations of appearing unemotional and out of touch. Earl Spencer's own eulogy at the funeral, which was defiant and emotional, resonated with many and contributed to the sense of grievance surrounding the event.

Prince Harry has previously spoken about the impact of walking behind his mother's coffin. In a 2017 interview with the BBC, he described the experience as something "no child should be asked to do," though he later stated he was glad to have participated in the day.

Adding to the pre-publication attention, four copies of the Dutch edition of Earl Spencer's book were reportedly stolen from a truck in the Netherlands while en route from the printer to the publisher's warehouse.

The memoir's upcoming release is anticipated to reignite discussions about the Royal Family's historical interactions with Diana and the public's perception during a turbulent period.