Piers Morgan, a British journalist, has called for Earl Spencer's book about Princess Diana to be pulled from the shelves due to a factual error. The book, titled "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," was published on September 22 and contains a string of allegations, including claims about King Charles's reaction to Princess Diana's death. Morgan stated that his lawyers would be seeking to have the offending pages removed from the book.
The factual error in question relates to Morgan's role in publishing photographs of Princess Diana at the gym in 1993. Earl Spencer incorrectly stated that Morgan was the editor of the Daily Mirror at the time, when in fact he was working at The Sun. Morgan did not join the Mirror as its editor until 1995. Earl Spencer has apologized for the error, stating that his assumption was incorrect.
The photographs of Princess Diana mentioned in the book were published by the Sunday Mirror on November 7, 1993. As a result of the publication, Princess Diana's lawyers sued the Mirror Group and secured a settlement in 1995, believed to be around £1m in legal costs and £200,000 for charities of her choice. Morgan has stated that Earl Spencer should pull the book from the shelves, saying that as a historian, accuracy is important.
Earl Spencer's book has led to a war of words between the Earl and Buckingham Palace. The book claims that King Charles said "we'll forget her soon enough" in the days after Princess Diana's death. Buckingham Palace has strongly responded, stating that the King was "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise."
Morgan has announced that he is pursuing legal action against Earl Spencer and his publisher, Penguin, to have the lies removed and damages paid to the King's Trust. He stated that he accepted Earl Spencer's apology but wanted the offending pages removed from the book. Penguin will be amending the factual error in future editions of the book.
The controversy surrounding Earl Spencer's book has sparked further speculation about Prince Harry's plans to mark the 30th anniversary of his mother's death. The book alludes to a "nephew" who wanted Earl Spencer to be in a documentary about Diana, which may be related to Prince Harry's reported plans for a documentary about his mother.
Prince Harry has discussed various projects to mark the anniversary and is still considering the most meaningful way to honour his mother's legacy. Meanwhile, The Telegraph has reported that Prince Harry is in talks to make a documentary about his mother, Diana. Earl Spencer's book has sparked a heated debate about the royal family and Princess Diana's legacy.
Key points
- Piers Morgan calls for Earl Spencer's book to be pulled due to a factual error.
- Earl Spencer apologizes for incorrectly stating Piers Morgan's role in publishing photographs of Princess Diana.
- The controversy surrounding the book has sparked speculation about Prince Harry's plans for a documentary about his mother.
