King Charles responds to criticism from Princess Diana's brother: Grief can affect the mind

King Charles responded on Wednesday to criticism from his late first wife, Princess Diana’s brother, in an unusual move. A spokesperson for the King said that grief can affect the mind, memory, and the ability to judge matters.

The allegations, contained in a book to be published soon, concern the current King’s conduct in the days following Princess Diana’s death in 1997.

Princess Diana died at the age of 36 when the car carrying her and her companion, Dodi Fayed, crashed in Paris while she was fleeing from paparazzi photographers who were pursuing her on motorcycles.

Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, states in his forthcoming memoir that Prince Charles told him at the time, “Relax, we’ll forget her soon,” according to a report published by the Daily Mail, which will begin serializing the book starting tomorrow, Thursday.

The report noted that these comments were made during a dispute over whether Diana and Charles’s sons, Princes William and Harry, should participate in her funeral, a matter Spencer opposed.

Diana was the most photographed woman in the world after her marriage to Charles in a lavish ceremony in 1981. However, the marital relationship deteriorated and ended in divorce in 1996.

In response to questions about the report, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said, “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty the King recognizes that the pain of losing a sibling can cloud the mind, affect judgment, and color memory in ways others may not realize, even many years after such a loss.”

Before the book’s publication, Spencer said, “The purpose of this book is to clarify the facts about Diana from her brother’s perspective... I want to speak on her behalf and do so in a positive and candid manner.”