Inside Princess Diana & Charles Spencer’s Complex Relationship
Princess Diana and her brother, Charles Spencer, shared a close relationship from childhood. But, like any siblings, their bond had its complicated moments. The siblings remained close even after Diana married then-Prince Charles in 1981 and became one of the most famous women in the world. Spencer said he felt it was his job to be honest with his sister, rather than simply tell her what she wanted to hear. During a 2020 interview with The Times, he said it was “tricky for her to hear anything except how marvellous life was – but I thought that was my duty.” However, their relationship was not always easy. After Diana’s separation from the prince, she hoped to move into a home on the Spencer family estate at Althorp. In his 2026 memoir, ‘Swan Song: Diana, My Sister’, Spencer explained why he felt the property she wanted was too exposed for someone facing constant media attention. Instead, he suggested other options. This disagreement reportedly created some tension between them in the years before her death.
As featured on
British shoppers snapped up copies of a memoir by the brother of Princess Diana on Tuesday after their interest was piqued by incendiary allegations about her troubled marriage to the now-king, including the claim he was "giddily elated" at her death.
