Charles Spencer's book "The Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" is dedicated to memories of the princess and the events that followed her death in a car accident in Paris in August 1997. Particular attention was drawn to Spencer's account of a phone call with the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III. According to the memoirs' author, the conversation shortly after Diana's death was extremely tense. Spencer also quotes words that he claims the future monarch said, stating that Diana would be forgotten over time. Another reason for conflict, according to Spencer, was the princess's funeral. Her brother opposed the idea of young princes William and Harry walking behind their mother's coffin during the procession, which was watched live by millions around the world. However, his objections, as claimed in the book, were not accepted. The publication of these memories was responded to by Buckingham Palace. Representatives of the royal family pointed out that intense grief and trauma can affect how a person remembers events many years later. Spencer himself, for his part, stated that he is confident in the accuracy of his own memories. The release of the book nearly three decades after Diana's death has once again brought one of the most controversial episodes in the history of the British royal family into the public eye — the decision that 15-year-old William and 12-year-old Harry should participate in the mourning procession, following their mother's coffin.
