Charles Spencer, the younger brother of the late Princess Diana, released a memoir titled Swan Song that reveals a series of personal anecdotes about the beloved royal. Among the most striking claims is that Diana once asked Spencer whether she might make a good American First Lady.
American suitor and the First Lady fantasy
According to Spencer, the princess was approached by a “powerful aging American suitor” who suggested that marrying him could place her in the White House. Spencer writes that Diana was more “titillated” by the prospect of living in the White House than by the idea of marrying the older man, describing her attraction as a desire to reinvent herself in a role that would eclipse even the glamour of Jackie Kennedy.
Romantic hopes beyond Britain
The memoir also recounts Diana’s post‑divorce romance with heart surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan. Spencer says Diana dreamed of moving to South Africa with Khan, believing that England had become “intolerable” for her. She imagined Khan working in a Cape Town hospital while she lived nearby, hoping the distant setting would offer a form of asylum.
Family tensions and royal drama
Spencer does not shy away from describing the strained relationship between Diana and Prince Charles. He recounts that on the morning of Diana’s death, Charles sounded “giddily elated – like a lottery winner,” and later told Spencer, “Rest assured … we’ll forget her soon enough!” Spencer says he was stunned by the comment and noted Charles’s “pent‑up contempt for Diana.”
The memoir also includes a claim that Charles once accused the Spencer family of lacking a sense of duty after they objected to Princes Harry and William walking behind their mother’s coffin.
Palace response
Buckingham Palace issued a brief statement after excerpts of the book were released, noting that “His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss.” The palace declined to comment further.
Historical context
Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Her life and legacy continue to generate public interest, and Spencer’s memoir adds new, controversial details that have sparked discussion among royal watchers.
While many of the claims remain unverified, Spencer acknowledges that some stories are based on Diana’s own recollections, and he does not assert that every anecdote is definitively factual.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
