Author Charles Spencer is set to publish a new book about his sister, Princess Diana, offering his most detailed public account of her life from within the Spencer family. Titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, the book is scheduled for release on Sept. 22, just weeks after the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death on Aug. 31, 1997. According to People Magazine, the 9th Earl Spencer will speak openly and at length about his sister for the first time in book form, framing the project as a personal record shaped by memory, grief and family history.
Charles Spencer Sets Sept. 22 Release for Diana Book
The new title will be published by Penguin Press in the United States and translated into 12 languages for international release. Spencer, 62, said the project grew out of repeated requests for interviews as the anniversary approaches. “The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective,” said Charles Spencer according to People Magazine. He added that he wants to speak on her behalf in a positive way, echoing the intention behind the eulogy he delivered at Westminster Abbey after her death.
Princess Diana Remembered Through Her Brother’s Lens
Spencer described Diana in vivid terms while explaining why he chose to write now. “a one-off, dynamic character, full of love, charisma and self-doubt, who gave life a hell of a go, and left the world a far better place, despite exiting the stage while still so young,” he said. He also said he hopes younger readers who never saw Diana during her lifetime will come away with a clearer sense of who she was beyond decades of public retelling and royal mythology.
Charles Spencer Cites Untruths Around Diana’s Story
A key reason behind the book is Spencer’s frustration with what he sees as false narratives that have hardened over time. He said he had been “inundated” with interview requests and decided to put his own memories on the record instead. In his view, too many accounts of Diana have relied on assumptions or secondhand claims. That makes this release especially significant within royal coverage, as it comes from the princess’s only brother and promises a firsthand version of family life, loss and the pressures surrounding her public image.
Diana’s Family History Still Shapes Royal Interest
The book also returns attention to Diana’s early years with her siblings, including Charles, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes. Spencer has previously spoken about the pain he and Diana experienced after their parents’ divorce, a period that left a lasting mark on both of them. Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were still teenagers when she died, and public interest in her legacy has never faded. This new volume places that legacy in a family context, with Spencer aiming to preserve his sister’s story in his own words.
