Who is Earl Spencer, the man at the center of the latest royal saga?

By Billy Stockwell, CNN

London (CNN) — When Earl Charles Spencer delivered his powerful eulogy for the late Princess Diana, he pledged to protect her sons – whom he referred to as “blood family” – from the anguish that regularly drove his sister “to tearful despair.”

Nearly 30 years on, claims made in his new book risk, as one British newspaper put it, plunging a “dagger into the heart” of those two sons.

Spencer claims his former brother-in-law – now King Charles – launched into a “stream of anger” over the phone following Diana’s death, after Spencer argued she would not have wanted William and Harry to take part in her funeral procession, according to excerpts published this week.

The King is also accused of saying, “we’ll forget her soon enough” – a claim Buckingham Palace has firmly rejected.

Some British media outlets and royal commentators have questioned the purpose of dragging up the past, while others have defended Spencer, saying his book shows he was prioritizing family over royal tradition.

Who is Earl Spencer?

Charles Spencer was born in London on May 20, 1964, into a prominent British aristocratic family with links to the modern-day royal clan. The late Queen Elizabeth II was his godmother.

In 1508, the family purchased the Althorp estate in West Northamptonshire, England, around two and a half hours drive north of London, where their ancestral seat remains to this day.

Spencer was educated at Eton, the prestigious school located in the English county of Berkshire, a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle. He then attended Magdalen College at the University of Oxford, where he studied modern history, according to his website.

Later, Spencer worked as a journalist, including spending a decade at the American TV network NBC News from 1986 as an on-air correspondent.

He has written several books, including titles exploring his own family’s past, as well as books about royal figures such as Charles II. He has five daughters and two sons from his first three marriages, according to his website.

What was his relationship with Diana like?

Diana and Spencer – who were aged less than three years apart – were very close as children, growing up at Althorp House, their leafy stately home in West Northamptonshire.

Spencer remembers their early years fondly and says the pair spent a significant amount of time together, particularly during their parent’s divorce.

But their relationship, as with many siblings, wasn’t without its squabbles.

Fractures between the pair were documented in a series of letters revealed during the 2002 theft trial of Diana’s former butler.

The Telegraph, which reported on the trial, said Diana’s request for a home in the “Garden House” on the family estate following her separation from then-Prince Charles was initially accepted but later turned down by Spencer who suggested alternative properties on the grounds.

Another letter cited in the trial referred to a phone call between the siblings in which Diana hung up on her brother.

Despite this upset, Spencer delivered an emotional eulogy in 1997 which lauded Diana as the “very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty.”

In the speech, he reminisced about their childhood days when Diana “mothered me as a baby, fought with me at school and endured those long train journeys between our parents’ homes with me at weekends.”

He strongly rebuked the British press for their treatment of his sister whom Spencer called the “most hunted person of the modern age.” The eulogy led to applause both in the church and among crowds listening outside.

Is he friendly with the British royal family?

Spencer held warm feelings towards Charles shortly after the then-Prince of Wales and Diana met at Althorp House in 1977.

“He was perfectly pleasant and charming. So, I was quite relaxed about it really,” Spencer told CNN in 1999, speaking about the couple’s marriage plans. “The fact that it was Prince Charles was obviously extraordinary, but otherwise I just, I was more interested in my exams and playing my sports at school.”

But that relationship has suffered a very public demise in recent days.

A war of words kicked off on Wednesday after Spencer said his former brother-in-law told him days after Diana’s death that she would soon be forgotten, according to an extract published by the Daily Mail from Spencer’s forthcoming book.

Buckingham Palace issued a rare rebuttal to Spencer’s claim, saying “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss.”

Charles’ alleged comments had not previously been reported.

In the 1999 interview, Spencer told CNN that Charles was “perfectly polite” on the day of the funeral. “We all caught the train from London together to go to the burial at my family home, and nothing nasty has ever been said about it by him to me,” Spencer said.

Some commentators have noted the impact such revelations could have on Princes William and Harry as they navigate their own rocky relationship, particularly following the surprise return of the Sussexes (who are known to maintain close relations with the Spencer family.)

Earlier this year, Harry and Meghan, alongside their children, visited their mother’s ancestral home where she is buried on a small island closed to the public.

Also in 2024, when Harry made a brief return to the UK for the 10th anniversary for his Invictus Games, he was supported by several members of the Spencer family who attended the celebration. Harry was seen chatting with his aunt, Lady Jane Fellowes who was seated directly behind him along with his uncle, before the event got underway.

The latest public clash between the Spencers and Windsors is therefore a test of alliances for the British royal clan. Many would have hoped the return of the Sussexes could mark a fresh start for the family. Instead, new fractures appear to be developing.

The-CNN-Wire
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