Earl Spencer has apologised to Piers Morgan for incorrectly claiming in his new book about Diana, Princess of Wales, that the former tabloid editor was behind the publication of intrusive photos of the late royal in the mid-1990s.
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editor → apologise → mid-1990s
Morgan had earlier threatened to sue Spencer over “fabricated inaccuracies” and “examples of brazen falsity” in the book, which was published today.
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which → threaten → book
In the memoir, the earl claims Morgan was in part responsible for the publication of photographs taken by an allegedly hidden camera in a gym of Diana working out in a leotard.
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Diana → claim → leotard
But the broadcaster told his audience on YouTube on Monday that the pictures were published in the Sunday Mirror nearly two years before he became editor at the Daily Mirror and when he was working at the Sun.
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he → tell → Sun
Later on Tuesday, Spencer issued a statement apologising to Morgan and admitting he had incorrectly assumed Morgan had been editor of the Mirror at the time.
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Morgan → issue → time
“Morgan was surly and annoyed when Earl Spencer called personally to tell him that he was not welcome at his sister’s funeral,” the statement said.
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statement → annoy → funeral
“The book then records Earl Spencer’s assumption that Mr Morgan’s response was because he was editor of the Daily Mirror when the Mirror Group had published highly intrusive photographs of Princess Diana at the gym.
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Group → record → gym
“The photographs were published by the Sunday Mirror on 7 November 1993.
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photographs → publish → November
Mr Morgan has pointed out that he did not join the Daily Mirror until October 1995.
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he → point → October
He therefore wishes to clarify that his assumption was incorrect.
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assumption → wish → ?
Earl Spencer apologises to Mr Morgan for this error.
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Spencer → apologise → error
The earl has made a series of claims in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, including that King Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” after she died, which has prompted a war of words between him and Buckingham Palace.
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which → make → him
The book also contains allegations about Morgan, who has strongly rebuked the claims.
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who → contain → claims
Speaking on his YouTube show, Piers Morgan Uncensored, Morgan said: “Many allies of his majesty have called into question these facts, ever since the most salacious accusations were serialised by the Daily Mail.
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accusations → speak → Mail
“Many royal commentators and experts have lined up to say that they simply don’t ring true.
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they → line → ?
The king himself issued a furious rebuke that is almost without precedent.
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that → issue → precedent
Recollections may vary, after all.
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Recollections → vary → ?
“Because I can exclusively reveal on Uncensored that Earl Spencer’s book contains fabricated inaccuracies which will strike to the heart of his credibility.
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which → reveal → credibility
Spencer recounts how he personally called round the tabloid newspaper editors to uninvite them from Princess Diana’s funeral, after they had all been invited.
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they → recount → funeral
I remember this well, because I was one of them.”
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I → remember → them
Morgan read an extract from Spencer’s book, which claims the editor “snarled with annoyance before he hung up”, as well as the passage concerning the intrusive photographs.
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he → read → photographs
He told his audience on YouTube that the pictures were published in the Sunday Mirror nearly two years before he became editor at the Daily Mirror.
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he → tell → Mirror
He said: “Well, this is all pretty extraordinary stuff, isn’t it?
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it → say → ?
I come across in the most despicable manner imaginable.
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I → come → manner
It’s all bullshit and very, very easy bullshit for me to prove it.
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me → ’ → it
“The photographs which he says that I published were printed by the Sunday Mirror on 7 November 1993.
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I → say → November
I joined the Daily Mirror in October in 1995.
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I → join → 1995
In fact, at the time of the gym pictures, I was doing a showbiz column on the Mirror’s arch-rival, the Sun.
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I → do → rival
Morgan, who was the editor of the Mirror from 1995 to 2004, continued: “Earl Spencer was estranged from Diana and living in South Africa at the time of her death.
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Spencer → continue → death
As editor of the Daily Mirror, I had lunch with her at Kensington Palace with Prince William.
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I → have → William
After that, it wasn’t uncommon for her to call my office or for me to run stories by her …
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me → call → her
Ironically, by that time in her life I think I was probably talking to her more often than he was.
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he → think → her
“My question, though, is this: if Earl Spencer can be so incredibly, defamatorily wrong about such basic facts involving me, well, why should we believe anything else he puts in this book?”
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he → involve → book
He later added: “In the meantime, Earl Spencer, you’ll be hearing – and your publishers – from my lawyers.”
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you → add → lawyers
Bookshops across London were reported to have appeared quiet on the release day of Spencer’s memoir – with the £28 book marked at half its cover price in some stores.
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book → report → stores
Dozens of copies with red “half price” stickers were stacked in Waterstones flagship Piccadilly store – the largest in Europe.
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Dozens → stack → Europe
It is also marked as half price on the Waterstones website.
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It → mark → website
The Aporia
