'They couldn't protect William and Harry' Earl Spencer sets the record straight on why he 'wouldn't give' Princess Diana a home
Princess Diana’s brother caused shockwaves with claims in his book, but he's also got regrets about his own decisions
Charles Spencer, the younger brother of the late Princess Diana, made headlines around the world with the publication of his book, Swan Song and the claims made against the likes of King Charles within.
While the Palace issued a rebuttal and the truth may never be known, the Earl has shifted the attention from what others did to what he might’ve done differently, sharing that he "probably could" have done more for his sister.
In a new interview, he admitted, "Could I have done more to help her with her public life? I probably could. Towards the end of her life, I did help her a bit. I had had some run-ins with the media. I helped her win a big libel case against a British newspaper. I would fight some battles for her quietly."
Speaking to People, the Earl is keen to set the record straight on one of the accusations levelled at him by some - that, despite him pointing the fingers at others, he himself turned Diana away during her time of need.
One persistent rumour claims that Diana came to her brother after she had split from King Charles and that he had refused her request to move into their family estate, Althorp.
Charles told the outlet, "One of the things people are throwing at me totally wrongly is that I wouldn’t give her a home. When she was divorced, she did ask me for the Garden House at the back of the park.
"Diana had loved it because our sister, Jane [Fellowes], lived there with her children, and that was perfect for them."
He adds that Diana was turned down on this request, but there was a reason. He continued, "The local police went around there with me and they said they just couldn’t protect William and Harry.
"She could not have lived at the Garden House. It was not a viable option."
This is not the first time the Earl has put forward his version of events when it comes to this claim. In a BBC Radio 4 interview in 2016, he had repeated this sentiment, adding that he thought Diana “couldn’t see” that it wasn’t the right decision for her.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today, "Diana had a lovely dream that she could live a normal life afterward. But the one house that she set her heart on in the park was three bedrooms and 100 yards from the road. And it was just not possible. The police knew it wouldn’t work.
"I offered every other property that was suitable on the estate. I really felt it was the right decision for her. But she probably couldn’t see it."
In that same interview, he also opened up about still having nightmares about his sister’s funeral.
"It was the most horrifying half an hour of my life. It was just ghastly. And it was far worse than having to deliver a speech at the end of it. It was the worst part of the day by a considerable margin, walking behind, well, my sister’s body, with two boys who were obviously massively grieving their mother.
"The feeling, the sort of crashing tidal wave of grief coming at you as you went down this sort of tunnel of deep emotion, it was really harrowing actually and I still have nightmares about it now."
