Musician Phil Collins has strongly criticized Earl Charles Spencer’s controversial new memoir about Princess Diana. He described the publication as “appalling” while firmly defending his decades-long relationship with King Charles. The former Genesis frontman addressed the high-profile literary controversy during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored.
The controversy centers on Earl Spencer’s memoir, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which was released on September 22. The book details the harrowing aftermath of Princess Diana’s 1997 death and includes explosive allegations regarding King Charles. Most notably, Spencer claimed that during a telephone call about funeral arrangements for Diana, the then-Prince of Wales made insensitive remarks and told him, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough!”
During the interview preview, Collins questioned the true motivations behind releasing the memoir and stated that he had no intention of purchasing or reading it. “The Spencer book is appalling,” Collins told Piers Morgan. “I haven’t read it, and I won’t be reading it, but he knows what he’s doing, or the publishers know what they’re doing, because everybody will want to read the book. That’s obvious.”
Phil Collins Defends King Charles Amid Memoir Backlash
When Piers Morgan asked Collins about Spencer’s claims that the monarch was allegedly “giddily elated” following Diana’s tragic passing in Paris, the veteran musician firmly pushed back against the narrative.
“No, I don’t think that happened at all,” Collins said. Highlighting his personal history with the royal family, the 75-year-old musician noted his long tenure supporting royal initiatives. “I’ve been with the Prince’s Trust, now the King’s Trust, for 40 years, and during that time, I’ve met the Prince and now the King many times.”
“I’d get letters from him, just personal letters. I used to see him an awful lot with the Trust, and I went to a garden party not long ago, to the King’s Trust at the Palace,” Collins continued, adding that he maintains “a tremendous amount of respect for him.”
Commercial Motives and Palace Response
Collins also questioned the financial motivations behind Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, suggesting that proceeds should ideally be directed toward charitable causes.
“I would feel a lot better about it if he did donate all the proceeds to charity or Diana’s charity,” Collins said. “It’s a shame he feels he has to resort to this. I don’t see any winners out of this, apart from the publishers who, unless they give the money away, they’re going to make a lot of money and Spencer, depending on what his deal is with the publishers.”
Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement responding to the book’s claims, noting: “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 color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss.”
Other figures close to the royal household have similarly disputed Spencer’s characterization of the King. Julian Payne, who served as Charles’ communications secretary from 2016 to 2021, told the media that he simply did not recognize the temperament or attitude attributed to the monarch in the book’s excerpts.
