The Aporia · King Charles sounded like 'lottery winner' after Diana's death, her brother writes

Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, claims in his new book that King Charles sounded "like a lottery winner" shortly after Diana's death in 1997. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Spencer suggests that Prince Charles at the time was elated because he foresaw freedom to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. Buckingham Palace responded by stating that grief can distort memory and judgment, without directly addressing the specific claims made about King Charles' reaction.

Written by AI on 2026-09-17, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

In September 2026, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan moved their children, Prince Archie (aged seven) and Princess Lilibet (five), to a new school in Britain after just two days due to security concerns. The couple's spokesperson cited heavy traffic between their home and the original school as the reason for the move. This decision came shortly after Harry and Meghan returned to Britain from California, where they had lived for six years. Additionally, the family's publicly-funded security is currently being reviewed by a government committee known as Ravec (the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures).

Written for “Charles Spencer's Memoir Controversy” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 141 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Charles Spencer's Memoir Controversy

Entertainment · 142 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

This article reads unscored and hedges 18% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

‘Like a lottery winner’: Charles ‘elated’ after Diana’s death, her brother’s new book claims Same event

The Sydney Morning Herald

Hedges 8 of 33 claims Outlet record 61/100

King Charles was ‘giddily elated’ after Diana’s death, her brother says Same event

South China Morning Post

Hedges 2 of 3 claims Outlet record 64/100

‘Elated’ King Charles sounded like ‘a lottery winner’ when Princess Diana died, her brother claims Same event

New York Post

Hedges 4 of 13 claims Outlet record 66/100

Charles ‘giddily elated’ after Diana’s death, her brother claims: ‘Like a lottery winner’; Buckingham Palace responds Same event

Times of India

Hedges 5 of 19 claims Outlet record 59/100

Princess Diana’s brother says King Charles sounded ‘giddily elated’ after her death Same event

NBC News

Hedges 2 of 31 claims Outlet record 60/100

Princess Diana's brother claims Charles sounded "elated" after she died Same event

CBS News

Hedges 7 of 19 claims Outlet record 66/100

Charles 'sounded giddily elated' after Diana died, Earl Spencer claims Same event

BBC News

Hedges 3 of 17 claims Outlet record 69/100

Charles sounded 'giddily elated' after Diana’s death, claims Earl Spencer Same event

The Guardian

⚖️ Leans left Hedges 5 of 21 claims Outlet record 66/100

King Charles issues blistering statement in response to Charles Spencer’s book claims on Princess Diana’s death Same event

New York Post

Hedges 1 of 7 claims Outlet record 66/100

King Charles responds to criticism from Princess Diana’s brother in rare move Same event

South China Morning Post

Hedges 2 of 6 claims Outlet record 64/100

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

The Straits Times

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A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Wednesday: "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." REUTERS

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-17

🔮 Diana's brother Charles Spencer said the then-Prince Charles was "giddily elated" in the immediate aftermath of Diana's death in 1997, possibly because he felt it meant he was freer to marry again, according to passages in the Daily Mail. Charles on Wednesday took the unusual step of responding to criticism after the first extracts of Spencer's book were published in the Daily Mail, saying via a spokesperson that grief could impact reason, judgment and memory.

2026-09-17 · The Straits Times

King Charles sounded like 'lottery winner' after Diana's death, her brother writes · assertive framing

King Charles sounded like 'lottery winner' after Diana's death, her brother writes asserted

brother → sound → death

Britain's King Charles sounded "like a lottery winner" after the death of his late first wife Diana, her brother writes in his forthcoming book, new extracts of which were published on Thursday. asserted

extracts → sound → Thursday

Diana's brother Charles Spencer said the then-Prince Charles was "giddily elated" in the immediate aftermath of Diana's death in 1997, possibly because he felt it meant he was freer to marry again, according to passages in the Daily Mail. Charles on Wednesday took the unusual step of responding to criticism after the first extracts of Spencer's book were published in the Daily Mail, saying via a spokesperson that grief could impact reason, judgment and memory. uncertain

grief → say → reason

There was no new comment from the king on the latest excerpts, which also stated that Diana went to a site of many suicides on Britain's south coast, but that her love for her sons, William and Harry, "stopped her from going further". asserted

love → be → her

"It is a sad fact that, in her later years, Diana drove herself more than once to Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in England, while contemplating ending it all," Spencer wrote. asserted

Spencer → drive → it

Diana was killed at the age of 36 when the car carrying her and her lover Dodi al-Fayed crashed in Paris as it sped away from chasing paparazzi photographers on motorbikes. asserted

it → kill → motorbikes

Spencer says in the book that he spoke to Charles shortly after Diana's death was confirmed, writing: "Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences and offers of help, he sounded giddily elated – like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time." asserted

I → say → time

Spencer added: "Looking back now, I suspect the prince's first reaction must have been to think more of how this event might free him to marry the woman he loved, rather than appreciating the loss of one he did not." uncertain

he → add → one

Charles and Diana separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. asserted

Charles → separate → 1996

That was a year after Diana told the BBC that "there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded" in reference to Charles' relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he married in 2005. asserted

he → tell → 2005

others → say → loss

King Charles sounded like 'lottery winner' after Diana's death, her brother writes

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