Charles was 'giddily elated' in phone call after Diana's death, Earl Spencer claims in book

Earl Spencer has claimed Charles was "giddily elated" during a phone call after Diana's death, as new excerpts are released from his upcoming book.

The allegations were made in the book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail - and is due to be published next week.

In an excerpt from the book about the events following the car crash in 1997, the Earl claims: "The phone rang constantly. Prince Charles caught me as I crossed the landing upstairs.

"Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences and offers of help, he sounded giddily elated - like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time.

"He let me know he had informed William and Harry of their mother's death, first thing that morning, in their bedrooms at Balmoral. It all sounded strangely matter-of-fact, given the enormity of the disaster.

"Looking back now, I suspect the prince's first reaction must have been to think more of how this event might free him to marry the woman he loved, rather than appreciating the loss of one he did not."

Following initial releases from the book on Wednesday, in which the Earl claims that in the days after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, then-Prince Charles told her brother "rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough", Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement.

In it, the palace said Charles is "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason".

"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," the statement adds.

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Sky News' royal correspondent Laura Bundock described the statement from Buckingham Palace as a "really remarkable intervention" and a "very robust response".

Also in the excerpt released on Thursday, the Earl said that "on the day of [Diana's] wedding she had been in the throes of her eating disorder for five months" - and claimed in her later years that Diana contemplated taking her own life.

The Earl also claimed in the book that on the day before Diana's wedding with the then prince, Charles had told her he was not in love with her.

The excerpt later goes on to claim that Diana told her brother "my husband is in love with his valet" after telling him she was going to get divorced.

Buckingham Palace has not responded to the latest excerpts.

Elsewhere, the King and other senior royals continued with public engagements, following the Earl's initial claims.

Charles warned tech leaders of the "existential dangers" of AI systems in a summit on Thursday.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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