The Aporia · Harry and Meghan need protection to avoid Diana’s ordeal, Earl Spencer says

Earl Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, told the BBC that Prince Harry and Meghan should receive official security due to media treatment similar to what Diana faced before her death in 1997. He warned that such treatment could be "really unpleasant" and cited his experience with his sister's fatal car accident while being pursued by paparazzi as a reason for concern. Spencer’s comments follow the publication of his book, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," which has generated controversy over its criticism of King Charles, previously Prince Charles, regarding remarks made after Diana’s death.

Written by AI on 2026-09-20, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Based on the articles provided, here is a summary of Earl Spencer's comments regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle:

Earl Charles Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, has expressed concern over the media treatment faced by his nephew Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. In an interview with BBC, he stated that the tabloid coverage of both Diana and Harry & Meghan can be "really unpleasant" and suggested that people should learn from Diana's experience.

Spencer emphasized that it would be prudent to provide official security for Harry and Meghan due to their current media situation, especially considering Harry's position as fifth in line to the British throne and his background as a former soldier. He noted that Diana died at age 36 in a car crash in Paris while being chased by photographers on motorbikes, an event which prompted questions about whether the media shared blame for her death after years of invasive coverage.

Spencer's comments come as he prepares to publish a book about his sister Diana, which has been critical of King Charles (Diana's former husband). The interview highlights parallels between how Diana was treated by the press and the current situation faced by Harry and Meghan, who have previously cited the media environment as a factor in their decision to step back from royal duties.

Overall, Spencer advocates for learning from past experiences to protect individuals like Harry and Meghan from similar negative consequences.

Written for “Earl Spencer On Media Treatment Of Harry And Meghan” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Earl Spencer On Media Treatment Of Harry And Meghan

Politics · 9 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

This article reads unscored and hedges 15% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Diana's brother compares media treatment of Harry, Meghan to late princess' ordeal Same event

The Straits Times

Hedges 0 of 9 claims Outlet record 66/100

Earl Spencer says media treatment of Harry and Meghan ‘echoes’ Diana’s experience Same event

The Guardian

Hedges 4 of 15 claims Outlet record 66/100

Princess Diana’s brother claims ‘lack of care’ for Prince Harry after mom’s funeral caused him to ‘spin out of control’ Different event

New York Post

Hedges 7 of 24 claims Outlet record 66/100

“The articles discuss different concerns by Earl Spencer at distinct times: one about Prince Harry's care after Princess Diana's funeral, and another about protecting Harry and Meghan from media treatment similar to what Diana faced.”

Harry and Meghan's media treatment echoes what happened to Diana, Earl Spencer tells BBC Same event

BBC News

Hedges 4 of 29 claims Outlet record 68/100

Earl Spencer says press treatment of the Sussexes ‘echoes’ Diana Same event

Evening Standard

Hedges 4 of 21 claims Outlet record 64/100

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle warned to be ‘discreet’ as security risk to royal family is ‘severe’ Different event

New York Post

Hedges 3 of 29 claims Outlet record 66/100

“The articles discuss different perspectives on security concerns for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but they are not reporting on the same specific incident.”

Princess Diana’s brother says his bombshell claims against King Charles following her death will ‘not be a surprise’ to nephews William and Harry Different event

New York Post

Hedges 4 of 20 claims Outlet record 66/100

“The articles discuss different aspects of Earl Spencer's statements, one about the need for protection for Harry and Meghan and the other about Spencer's upcoming book claims. They do not describe the same specific incident.”

Palace hits back at claims King said Diana would be forgotten ‘soon enough’ Different event

Evening Standard

Hedges 3 of 13 claims Outlet record 64/100

“The articles discuss different topics related to Princess Diana but do not describe the same specific event.”

Diana 'still is deeply resented' in Buckingham Palace says David Dimbleby after Earl Spencer's bombshell King Charles revelations Different event

Daily Mail

Hedges 7 of 38 claims Outlet record 69/100

“The articles discuss different aspects of Earl Spencer's memoir but do not describe the same specific incident or time frame.”

Watch: Diana's brother says press has 'cancerous influence' on Harry and Meghan's lives Same event

BBC News

Hedges 0 of 5 claims Outlet record 68/100

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Kate Holton

2 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Earl Spencer said the tabloid treatment of both Diana and Harry and Meghan could be “really, really unpleasant”, and that it was “beholden on people” to learn from that experience. Diana died aged 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash as photographers pursued her car on motorbikes, and her death sparked an outpouring of grief and a reckoning over whether the media bore some responsibility after it splashed details of her life across front pages for years. “From a security aspect, as an uncle who’s seen his sister die in very, very preventable circumstances, I would veer towards protection,” Charles Spencer told the BBC, citing Harry’s position as fifth in line to the British throne and as a former soldier.

2026-09-20 · assertive framing · Harry and Meghan need protection to avoid Diana’s ordeal, Earl Spencer says

🔮 But its creators were increasingly warning that it could develop darker capacities, “perhaps even to take life”, he said.

2026-09-17 · mixed framing · King warns AI leaders of ‘existential dangers’ if tech falls into wrong hands

Also by Kate Holton

King warns AI leaders of ‘existential dangers’ if tech falls into wrong hands

2026-09-17 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Spencer’s remarks came as he prepares to publish his book about Diana, which has been highly critical of her former husband, the now-King Charles, and after Harry and Meghan returned to live in Britain six years after they quit royal duties and moved to the US.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-20

2026-09-20 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Harry and Meghan need protection to avoid Diana’s ordeal, Earl Spencer says · assertive framing

The brother of Princess Diana said her son, Prince Harry, and his American wife Meghan should be given official security as they are now treated by the media much in the same way as his late sister was in the years before her death. asserted

sister → say → death

Earl Spencer said the tabloid treatment of both Diana and Harry and Meghan could be “really, really unpleasant”, and that it was “beholden on people” to learn from that experience. Diana died aged 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash as photographers pursued her car on motorbikes, and her death sparked an outpouring of grief and a reckoning over whether the media bore some responsibility after it splashed details of her life across front pages for years. “From a security aspect, as an uncle who’s seen his sister die in very, very preventable circumstances, I would veer towards protection,” Charles Spencer told the BBC, citing Harry’s position as fifth in line to the British throne and as a former soldier. uncertain

Spencer → say → soldier

they → come → US

Spencer’s book makes headlines asserted

book → make → headlines

The earl’s book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, has made headlines around the world after it accused Charles of making incendiary comments in the days after Diana’s death. asserted

it → make → death

In the book, Spencer accused Diana’s former husband, the then Prince of Wales, of sounding “giddily elated” in the hours after her death and said an angry Charles had told Spencer at the time that the world would forget Diana soon enough. asserted

world → accuse → Diana

In a rare move, the palace hit back 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”. asserted

others → hit → loss

Asked by the BBC how he could prove the conversations took place, Spencer said he had included a specific line in his much-lauded eulogy at Diana’s funeral to counter Charles’ comments, ending the speech by saying she would “never be extinguished from our minds”. uncertain

she → ask → minds

Spencer said he wrote the book, ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death, to celebrate her life. asserted

he → say → life

He said their childhood had never had a dull moment: “We both have ADHD. asserted

We → say → ADHD

She was never diagnosed, but clearly we did.” asserted

we → diagnose → ?

The publication of the book and the surprise return of Harry and Meghan to Britain after their six years in the US pose a challenge for the King, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer. asserted

who → pose → cancer

Diana’s family accused the royals of showing a lack of support or care towards the late princess before her death, a charge that was repeated by Harry and Meghan before they quit royal duties in 2020 to move abroad. asserted

they → accuse → 2020

Harry has criticised the government’s decision to strip him and his family of automatic police protection afforded to other senior royals, after he quit royal duties. asserted

he → criticise → duties

Following a long-running legal battle, that move is now under review. asserted

move → follow → review

Last week, a security expert suggested that a full security detail for the Sussexes, comprising about 10 personnel, could cost up to £12 million ($22.5 million) per year. “Given the circumstances of who they are, they would need police protection really because police can carry guns and protect them at a different level. uncertain

police → suggest → level

Private protection can’t carry guns in this country,” Paul Lewis told the London Telegraph’s Daily T podcast. asserted

Lewis → carry → podcast

Spencer, who recently hosted the couple, has serialised his book through the Daily Mail, just months after Harry lost an expensive privacy lawsuit against the tabloid. asserted

Harry → host → tabloid

Spencer said his revelations about Charles would not come as a surprise to Harry or his older brother, the heir-to-the-throne Prince William, and said that while he knew many more details about the King, he chose not to include them. asserted

he → say → them

Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. asserted

what → get → world

Harry and Meghan need protection to avoid Diana’s ordeal, Earl Spencer says

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