King Charles Sounded Like 'Lottery Winner' After Diana's Death, Her Brother Writes
Thestandard · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
Britain's King Charles faced renewed scrutiny on Friday after new extracts from a forthcoming book by Princess Diana's brother revealed that he sounded "like a lottery winner" in the immediate aftermath of her death in 1997.
Key Points
- Charles Spencer, Diana's brother, writes that then-Prince Charles was "giddily elated" when he called shortly after Diana's death was confirmed
- Spencer recalls: "Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences, he sounded giddily elated – like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time"
- The book states Diana drove herself to Beachy Head, England's highest chalk sea cliff, multiple times while contemplating suicide, but her love for William and Harry stopped her
- Charles and Diana separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, a year after Diana told the BBC "there were three of us in this marriage" regarding his relationship with Camilla
- Charles responded via spokesperson on Wednesday that "grief could impact reason, judgment and memory" after the first book extracts were published
Why It Matters
The revelations provide a deeply personal account of royal family dynamics during one of Britain's most traumatic public events, reigniting debate about Charles's character and priorities at a formative moment in his reign .
The revelations provide a deeply personal account of royal family dynamics during one of Britain's most traumatic public events, reigniting debate about Charles's character and priorities at a formative moment in his reign .