Heir to the throne Prince Charles allegedly made “offensive” comments about his ex-wife, Princess Diana, to her brother days after her 1997 death, a new book claims.
Historian Robert Lacey writes in “Battle of Brothers: The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult” that Charles made the remark to Diana’s brother, Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, as the ex-in-laws feuded over funeral arrangements. Apparently, Spencer objected to his nephews walking the entirety of a public funeral procession behind their mother’s casket.
“Prince Charles had no doubt that he should walk the long route with both his sons beside him,” Lacey wrote in excerpts obtained by People, “But Uncle Charles Spencer did not agree. He was already angry on his family’s behalf that his sister’s funeral had been hijacked into a royal occasion, and he was particularly opposed to the idea that his young nephews should have to walk the best part of a mile behind their mother’s coffin through the streets.”
“Spencer felt quite sure that Diana would have been horrified at the idea of her sons having to endure such an ordeal,” Lacey added. “He had already told Charles as much.” One contentions call between them “had ended with the earl slamming down the phone on his brother-in-law after Charles had made a particularly offensive comment about Diana.”
In the end, both William and Harry joined their father, Spencer and their grandfather Prince Philip for the lengthy procession. The service took place Sept. 6, 1997, six days after her death due to a car crash in Paris.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana married in 1981, separated in 1992 and finalized their divorce in 1996.