Earl Spencer Reveals Whose Side He's On in Harry and William's Feud: "I Hope One Day It’s Resolved"
Princess Diana’s brother has weighed in on his warring nephews.
Charles Spencer might be more closely associated with Prince Harry these days—especially since the Duke of Sussex and his family visited Earl Spencer over the summer. But in a new interview with the BBC, Princess Diana’s brother shared some surprising thoughts on his nephews’ estrangement.
“I think there is a perception in the media that I am on Harry’s side,” he said. “Well, I’m on my deceased sister’s sons’ side, both of them. And if either of them wanted anything, then I’d be equally there for them.”
The 9th Earl Spencer, whose book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, will be released on September 22, added that while he avoids taking sides in the feud, he knows it’s not what Princess Diana would have wanted.
Earl Spencer speaks with his sisters Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, along with Prince Harry, at the unveiling of Princess Diana's statue at Kensington Palace in 2021.
“I never get involved in one camp or the other, except as a benign figure, I hope,” Spencer said, admitting that he doesn’t “know all” about the nitty gritty details of their ongoing feud, but there are a “lot of reasons on both sides.”
However, he shared, “I certainly don’t know what’s been done in the finer detail and so I would feel intrusive if I got more involved than to say of course a mother would want her two sons to be happy together and love each other.”
Prince William and Prince Harry have not spoken in several years, with royal sources pointing to the publication of Harry's memoir, Spare, and his controversial Oprah Winfrey interview as two particular sources of betrayal for the Prince of Wales.
Earl Spencer (center) walks with (from left) Prince Philip, Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Charles at Princess Diana's funeral.
Regarding the explosive comments made about King Charles in his book, Earl Spencer said the remarks about The King acting "giddy" after Diana died won't be shocking to his nephews.
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"I don't like to talk about what I've been speaking about to William and Harry, but this will not be a surprise to them," he shared. "I will tell you that these words will not be a surprise to them."
Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.