Charles Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, is set to release a memoir detailing his memories of his sister and the aftermath of her tragic death in 1997. The book, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is scheduled for publication next month and promises to offer readers an insight into his unique perspective on the life of his iconic sibling.
A Personal Account of Diana's Life
Among other topics, the book is set to cover the pair's childhood together at Park House, Norfolk, his account of her marriage to the now King Charles, as well as the days and weeks after her fatal Paris car crash. According to the author, the idea to write the book came after being "inundated...with requests" as the 30th anniversary of his sister's passing looms, with the aim of battling against certain "untruths that have become accepted over time".
He explained: "The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective, just as I attempted to do when speaking at her funeral. As with my eulogy, I want to speak on Diana’s behalf and do so in an openly positive way. I hope this book will be of interest to the many who still cherish the memory of Diana when she was alive."
Author's Motivation and Publisher's Praise
"And I would be delighted if those too young to remember her in her heyday feel – after reading this – that they ‘get’ who she really was: a one-off, dynamic character, full of love, charisma and self-doubt, who gave life a hell of a go, and left the world a far better place, despite exiting the stage while still so young," Spencer added. "This is a book I’ve been invited to write repeatedly, since the actual day of Diana’s funeral. Now is the time for me to finally put it down on the page."
A spokesperson at publisher Penguin said: "This is a book of historic importance, telling as it does the story of one of the twentieth century’s most iconic and culturally significant figures, but it is also utterly unique in being written by Earl Spencer, from a vantage point of such intimacy. It is extraordinarily moving, beautifully written and remarkably candid, in no small part due to Charles’s rare ability to access great emotional depth without sentimentality, honest observation without rancour, and warmth without gloss. For the first time, but also for all time, readers will find here a fitting tribute to the beloved woman who was Princess Diana."
