Buckingham Palace says "grief can cloud reason" in response to Spencer's memoir claim
Official statement issued by a Buckingham Palace spokesperson on behalf of King Charles III
“While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Fox News report giving the full text of Buckingham Palace's statement responding to Spencer's memoir claim.
Before the quotation
Issued the same day Charles Spencer's memoir "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" began serialization, in which Spencer wrote that then-Prince Charles made the "we'll forget her soon enough" remark to him by phone in the days after Diana's 1997 death.
After the quotation
The statement did not directly confirm or deny that the specific remark was made, and no named Palace official was quoted; the statement was attributed to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.
How this statement is classified
Responding to: In the days after Diana's death in 1997, then-Prince Charles told him by phone, "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough."
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The Palace statement does not confirm or deny that Charles made the specific remark Spencer attributes to him. Instead, without addressing the quotation directly, it suggests Spencer's account may be distorted by "fraternal grief" clouding "reason," "judgment," and "memory" many years on -- disputing the reliability of Spencer's characterization of what was said, rather than either admitting or flatly denying it.
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- People and groups discussed
- Charles Spencer
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