Who called the Queen Mother a b----?!? And was there a reason Diana's brother wasn't invited
to King Charles III's coronation? Diana's family hasn't minced words about the royals.
On September 6, 1997, admirers of Princess Diana gathered in London
and around their televisions to mourn her death. After the funeral procession,
which began at Kensington Palace and ended at Westminster Abbey, a funeral service began. There,
Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, gave a powerful and memorable eulogy.
In the emotional speech, Charles seemed to
acknowledge his sister's struggle to fit in with the royal family,
causing many people to wonder if he was using this somber occasion to criticize the royals.
"We, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative and
loving way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men."
Charles also spoke of how Diana was a beloved and influential
symbol of good in the world — even after she exited the royal family.
One of the most heartbreaking moments of Princess Diana's funeral was the image of her two sons,
Prince William, who was 15 at the time, and Prince Harry, who was 12,
walking solemnly behind their mother's casket.
Since that sorrowful day, Charles Spencer has revealed how he felt tricked into allowing the
young princes to follow their mother's coffin. In an interview with the BBC,
Charles said he thought the whole idea was, quote, "bizarre and cruel."
"I had been a passionate advocate for William and Harry
not to have to walk behind their mother's body."
Despite his objection, Charles said the royal family made the
decision to include the boys in the procession.
"And then eventually I was lied to and told they wanted to do it, which of course they didn't."
Some five years after Diana's funeral, the earl revealed to The Guardian that he felt
the royals played an active role in preventing contact between his nephews and their mother's
family. Although Diana's brother promised in his eulogy to support the late princess' children,
the royals appeared to challenge his ability to fulfill his word.
Diana's relationship with her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, was reportedly difficult. After
Diana's parents divorced in 1969, her father was granted sole custody of the children. Although
Shand Kydd may have experienced a strained relationship with her daughter during her life,
she was not shy about criticizing how the royal family acted toward her and her daughter.
In 2005, diaries documenting past conversations Shand Kydd had with journalists were released,
which revealed the harsh judgment that Diana's mother felt from the
royal family. In these diaries, Shand Kydd claimed that Prince Charles, quote,
"acts like a spoiled brat" and felt it was good that he became depressed after
Diana's death. According to The Scotsman, she also labeled the queen mother a "b—-."
When the creation of a memorial fountain dedicated to Diana's legacy began back in 2002,
Shand Kydd claimed that she had not been contacted about the project honoring her
daughter, according to The Guardian. She instead learned about it through
the press. Not only was she upset about not being included,
but she was also unhappy with the fountain itself, saying it was "lacking in grandeur."
While Diana's brother and mother and have been vocal about their feelings
regarding how the royals handled the life and death of Princess Diana,
Diana's older sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes,
have managed to avoid making public comments on the royal family.
However, McCorquodale, the oldest of the Spencer
children and the one who reportedly introduced Prince Charles to Diana,
did speak about her sister's death in the BBC documentary "Diana, 7 Days." She revealed that
she still asks herself why Diana was not wearing a seatbelt that fateful night.
"She was religious in wearing her seatbelt. Why wasn't she wearing it that night? I don't know."
Unlike McCorquodale, Fellowes declined to participate in the
documentary and has remained mum about her sister's death.
Nevertheless, the two surviving sisters do maintain a connection with Princes William
and Harry. McCorquodale and Fellowes reportedly attended the christening of Princess Lilibet as
well as the weddings of William and Harry to their respective wives, Princess Catherine and Meghan,
Duchess of Sussex. Lady Jane Fellowes even gave a reading at Harry and Meghan's wedding.
Despite his past criticism of members of the royal family,
Charles Spencer honored Queen Elizabeth II after her death in 2022. Elizabeth was not
only his queen and the mother-in-law of his sister Diana, but she was also his godmother.
On the day of the queen's funeral, Charles took to Twitter to share
a photo of cufflinks stamped with Elizabeth's royal cipher, writing:
"Wearing these at Windsor today, with great sadness and pride."
The ninth Earl Spencer also took to Instagram to pay tribute to his godmother. On his personal
account, Charles shared an excerpt that was read at the queen's committal service, writing:
"This, for me, was the nearest anyone has come to capturing the essence of HM The
Queen today - the 'kindness,' 'concern' and dignity of a truly great lady."
In a 2023 interview with the "Off Air ... with Jane and Fi" podcast,
Charles Spencer revealed that he did not expect to receive an invitation to the
coronation of King Charles III. He went on to describe how families of nobility,
such as the Spencers, have historically appeared during the coronation of a monarch. However,
he stated that the Spencers have never really participated in elaborate ways.
After it was revealed that Diana's brother would not be at the coronation,
the "Off-Air" co-hosts brought up how they believed many people would be thinking of
Diana on the day of the coronation. Charles found the sentiment to be complimentary,
but as for royals in general, he seems to be over the whole thing.
"Actually, the whole royal thing, I don't find it as interesting as a lot of people,
you know? I just get on with my life."