Britain’s royal family wracked by fresh turmoil after brief summer respite

By Billy Stockwell, CNN

London (CNN) — King Charles III wanted all eyes on AI, as he prepared to host a major summit to discuss the controversial technology.

But those hopes were shattered after a fresh royal scandal hit the front pages hours before Thursday’s meeting was set to start, threatening to overshadow the tech gathering and throwing the clan into turmoil.

“Charles’s astonishing outburst days after Diana’s death,” the Daily Mail’s front page read, while the Daily Telegraph wrote, “Palace hits back at Diana’s brother.”

Buckingham Palace issued a rare rebuttal on Wednesday after Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, said Charles had told him days after her death that “we’ll forget her soon enough,” according to an extract published by the Daily Mail from his forthcoming book.

Spencer claims Charles – then Prince of Wales – launched into a “stream of anger” over the phone following Diana’s death, after Spencer argued his sister would not have wanted William and Harry to take part in her funeral procession.

The late Princess of Wales died in August 1997 after suffering internal injuries resulting from a high-speed car crash in Paris. Her sons, ages 15 and 12 at the time, walked in the funeral procession days later alongside Charles, from whom she was divorced.

Spencer’s memoir casts back to a particularly sensitive period for the royals.

Known as the “People’s Princess,” Diana was a beloved figure in the United Kingdom and around the world whose untimely death, age 36, stunned the nation. The royal family’s initial response to her death was criticized as overly insular, sparking a major constitutional crisis and widespread public backlash.

In response to the latest claims, Buckingham Palace called into question Spencer’s personal judgement following Diana’s death – an unusual intervention, even in the palace’s own words, and one which speaks to the scale of the crisis in the eyes of ‘the firm,’ as the royal family is sometimes described.

“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,” a palace spokesperson said.

For some royal observers, the firm’s response echoed the late Queen Elizabeth’s rebuke of several damning claims made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2021, after the couple left the UK for North America following their step back from royal life.

“Recollections may vary,” the Queen said at the time.

Spencer’s book, titled “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” which tells the story of Diana’s life from a brother’s perspective, is set for release later this month.

New headaches

This year got off to a particularly bumpy start for the British royals, including the arrest of Charles’ brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office while the former prince was a trade envoy for Britain.

Mountbatten-Windsor stepped down from the role in 2011 after coming under severe criticism over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has vehemently denied any and all wrongdoing in his dealings with Epstein, and has denied any personal gain from his role as a British trade envoy, according to British media reports.

After a quieter summer, the clan would have been hoping for a scandal-free end to the year, but the upcoming release of Spencer’s memoir, shortly after the surprise return of Prince Harry and Meghan to the country presents a number of fresh headaches for the clan.

Amid the turmoil, senior members of the family will be carrying out a busy day of royal engagements Thursday.

Harry is expected to make his first public outing since returning to the UK with his family last month, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency. It is unclear if Meghan will accompany him.

Neither Harry nor Meghan are acting as working royals following their return, but the prince’s planned appearance indicates he isn’t planning to shy away from the public eye.

Charles issued a letter earlier this month clarifying that the couple should be treated as “private citizens,” a move which was said to “surprise” Harry and Meghan, according to a spokesperson for the Sussexes.

The couple and their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have largely kept out of the spotlight since their return.

But they have not proved immune from all issues, notably making the decision to switch their children’s school just days into the start of the new academic year, citing security practicalities.

That decision came after British media reported Meghan had been granted a new security review for the first time since quitting royal duties – another sticking point between the couple and the broader clan.

Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and his wife Kate, made their first official visit to the Isle of Bute in Scotland on Thursday, PA Media reported.

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CNN’s Lauren Kent contributed reporting.