Charles Spencer, the younger brother of Princess Diana, has announced a memoir about his sister titled “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.” The book is set for publication in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2026.
DR reports that the book is the first Spencer has written about Diana. It is published by Penguin Michael Joseph, which says it marks the first time he speaks openly and at length about his sister.
Spencer states that his purpose is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective, so readers can see who she really was, according to reporting by the BBC cited by DR. He describes his sister as full of love, charisma and self-doubt. He also says he hopes younger readers who do not remember her will get a clear picture of her life and work.
The Guardian reports that the memoir covers Diana’s life and the week of her death, with international editions to follow the British release. Publishing director Daniel Bunyard, quoted by the paper, says the book contains many revelations that will draw considerable attention, while also serving as a tribute.
According to The Telegraph, the book will be translated into 12 languages. The same outlet reports that it includes an insider account of how the royal family handled public grief after Diana’s death.
Spencer is an established author. His earlier books, which have included bestsellers, cover his own family, his years as a boarding school pupil and several historical subjects, as noted by DR.
Why the book is coming now
Spencer says he has been inundated with interview requests ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death, which falls next year. He says this convinced him to write down his own recollections rather than read other people’s views, many of which he considers based on untruths that have come to be accepted as fact.
Devdiscourse reports that the release is timed to coincide with that anniversary. The same outlet cites Penguin Random House describing the memoir as of historic importance, and says the book revisits the 1997 crash in Paris and the media attention around it.
Diana died on August 31, 1997, at the age of 36, in a car crash in Paris. Her partner, Dodi Al-Fayed, and the driver, Henri Paul, were also killed. Her marriage to the current King Charles remains one of the most discussed chapters of recent royal history.
At Diana’s funeral in Westminster Abbey in September 1997, Spencer blamed the media for her death, saying she had been hunted by the press. He pledged then to protect his nephews, Prince William and Prince Harry, from the same fate.
