The Duke of Sussex asked his uncle Earl Spencer if there was anything in his bombshell memoir that would ‘embarrass’ him, with the Mirror’s Pod Save the King breaking down the ‘selfish’ act
18:34, 30 Sep 2026Updated 18:37, 30 Sep 2026
Prince William declines Diana documentary offer to avoid ‘being pitted against’ Prince Harry
Earl Spencer’s bombshell memoir about his late sister, Princess Diana, is continuing to send shockwaves through the Royal Family a week after its release date. When Spencer penned the book – titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister – the author admitted that he did not tell any of the royals about it, not even his nephews and Diana’s sons Prince William and Prince Harry.
While on his book tour, Charles Spencer said that the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex found out about the book just before the public did, which very prompted different reactions from both William and Harry.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
During an interview, Spencer said William did not respond to the news of the book, while Harry asked his uncle if there were any stories in the memoir that would ‘embarrass’ him.
Speaking on the Mirror’s YouTube show Pod Save The King, the Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers believes this response shows a ‘selfish’ side of the Duke of Sussex, while William remains ‘incredibly saddened’.
Russell said: “There is an awful lot of sadness in William’s mind. I mean, look at how many people he’d been let down by. His brother, his sister-in-law, now his uncle.”
Russell Myers said William has been ‘let down’ by Harry (Image: Mark Kerrison, In Pictures via Getty Images)
“And I thought it was quite telling that Earl Spencer said that he told both William and Harry [about the book] and Harry was the only one to respond quite selfishly saying ‘Well is there anything about me that I should be worried about?’
“Now I know that William has not responded to [Earl Spencer] and he is incredibly saddened by this. There’s lots of talk about generational anger and fury.”
The estranged brothers are both mentioned in Spencer’s book, as he recalls the argument he got into with then Prince Charles about letting William and Harry, who were 15 and 12 respectively at the time, walk behind Diana’s coffin in the funeral procession.
Russell Myers and Jennifer Newton on this week’s episode of Pod Save The King
The controversial memoir, which has rattled the Royal Family, was published to coincide with the upcoming 30 year anniversary of Diana’s death, which will be marked on August 31 next year.
It is believed Harry is in talks to produce a documentary about his late mother to mark the poignant anniversary, as he wants to honour Diana’s legacy “in the most meaningful way”.
It is understood, and has already approached a number of her friends and relatives about taking part in a potential film. Meanwhile, it is believed Prince William has declined several offers to appear in similar films about the late Princess Diana.
Harry and William will not work on a Diana project together (Image: DOMINIC LIPINSKI, POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
With relations between William and Harry now fraught, it is believed the Prince of Wales has rejected the documentary offers to avoid a situation where he and Harry are “pitted against each other”.
Friends of William’s say next year’s anniversary is “a difficult situation for him”, and that he remains “really emotional” about his mother’s death. Those who know William also say he considers his public contributions to the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death to have been “a final catharsis” that he does not wish to revisit.
William appeared in a documentary in 2017 alongside his brother Prince Harry for the 20th anniversary of Diana’s passing, which saw the brothers recall fond memories of their mother and speak proudly of her legacy, which they are both ensuring will carry on.
Get the inside scoop on the monarchy with Mirror Royal
WHATSAPP GROUP: Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our Royal WhatsApp here.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror’s Royal newsletter here to get all the biggest royal news and exclusive pictures, straight to your inbox.