Charles Spencer rejected Queen's offer to restore Diana's royal title
Earl Spencer says Queen Elizabeth offered to restore Diana's HRH title posthumously, but he rejected it as a consolation prize.
In his new book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Charles Spencer claims Queen Elizabeth contacted him through her Private Secretary before Diana's burial in 1997. The Queen offered to restore the Her Royal Highness title Diana had lost after her divorce from King Charles.
Spencer rejected the offer, believing Diana would have refused it. In the book, Spencer writes that Diana was hurt by the removal of her title, calling it "petty and vindictive".
He felt the Queen's gesture was well-meaning but came too late: "What's the point, Robert? Now?
I mean, Diana's dead." King Charles has since challenged some of Spencer's other claims in the book.
- August 1996
- Title removed
- August 1997, Paris
- Diana's death
- Robert Fellowes, Private Secretary
- Queen's intermediary
- Swan Song: Diana, My Sister
- Spencer's book
Why it mattersNew details emerge about Diana's relationship with the Royal Family and the pain caused by losing her royal status.
AustraliaNo direct Australian impact, but Diana remains a major figure in Commonwealth public memory and British royal history.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 5 d ago
