Earl Spencer has said that "he knows lots of things" about King Charles III in what appeared to be a veiled threat to the monarch. The Earl had a 30-minute interview with BBC's Laura Kuenssberg over the weekend, during which he talked about his new book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
The book comes out today, with the Earl saying that details he knows about the King were not included because they weren't relevant, but that Prince William and Prince Harry would not be surprised to hear them. When Kuenssberg said that his ominous statement about what he allegedly knows about the King sounded like a threat, he said that it was "just the reality".
Earl Spencer's claims about the King
He added that if he were "a salacious writer and wanted to write that sort of thing, I have plenty of other things I could have said". It comes after his claim last week that the King said that Diana would soon be 'forgotten' during an argument over whether Princes William and Harry should walk in their mother's funeral procession.
In the book, the Earl claimed that Charles, who was the Prince of Wales at the time, seemed "giddily elated" when they had an exchange following Diana's death, and that he was like a "lottery winner". Buckingham Palace refuted the claims and said the Earl's judgement was clouded by "fraternal grief".
Interview exchange with Laura Kuenssberg
During the interview, Kuenssberg put it to the Earl that he was suggesting "in black and white" that the King "felt that Diana's death was rather convenient, because he would be able to marry Camilla". The Earl responded: "That is how I felt at the time from the tone of his voice."
He added: "I cannot be sure. I'm saying that's what I assume from the tone is a possibility, and that's all I can do." The interviewer then referred to Buckingham Palace's statement on Earl Spencer's claims, telling him that the palace said that his account of events "didn't happen".
Earl Spencer's response to palace denial
He then responded: "Well, they haven't actually, Laura. They've sort of smudged that one, haven't they?" When it was put to him by Kuenssberg that the King seemed "plainly furious", Earl Spencer said: "Well, is he furious, or is he embarrassed? Because I can tell you, here and now, those are exactly the words he said. I don't hear him saying he didn't say that."
Elsewhere in the interview, when asked about his motivations for including certain details, he revealed: "It's a brother's tribute, a loving tribute to a sister. And I think she deserves honesty, so that's what I've delivered."
