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Charles showed 'giddily elated' behaviour after Diana's death, Earl Spencer claims

The late Princess Diana's brother has alleged that King Charles III exhibited an unusually jubilant demeanour following Diana's fatal 1997 car crash in Paris. Buckingham Palace has responded to the fresh claims.

LSN India · 17 September 2026

Charles showed 'giddily elated' behaviour after Diana's death, Earl Spencer claims

Earl Spencer, Diana's brother, has reignited scrutiny surrounding the royal family's immediate reaction to the Princess of Wales' death, claiming that King Charles displayed peculiar elation in the aftermath of the tragedy. Speaking publicly about the events of August 1997, Spencer suggested the then-Prince Charles appeared excessively cheerful following Diana's fatal accident in a Paris tunnel, drawing comparisons that implied unexpected benefit from her death.

The allegation forms part of ongoing public discourse about the royal family's handling of Diana's death and their emotional responses during that period. Spencer's characterisation of Charles's demeanour as resembling that of "a lottery winner" presents a stark contrast to the restrained grief typically associated with royal protocol during such circumstances.

Buckingham Palace has issued a response to Spencer's claims, though officials have not provided detailed commentary on the specific allegations regarding Charles's emotional state at that time. The palace statement seeks to contextualise the royal family's conduct during the crisis period following Diana's death on August 31, 1997.

These latest claims contribute to the persistent public interest in the circumstances surrounding Diana's death and the royal family's response, matters that have continued to generate discussion and debate in the decades following the tragedy. The matter remains sensitive within British public discourse given Diana's enduring legacy and her significant role in the nation's cultural memory.