LONDON — September 23, 2026 — Piers Morgan has renewed his criticism of Earl Spencer’s memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, arguing that an acknowledged factual error about Morgan raises wider questions about the reliability of parts of the book. Spencer has apologized for incorrectly linking Morgan to the publication of intrusive photographs of Princess Diana, but Morgan says he still intends to pursue legal action.
The dispute has added another layer to the controversy surrounding Spencer’s first major memoir about his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales. The book was published this week and has already triggered a rare response from Buckingham Palace over Spencer’s claims about King Charles following Diana’s death.
Key points
- Earl Spencer apologized to Piers Morgan over an incorrect claim about Morgan’s role at the Daily Mirror in 1993.
- Morgan says the apology has not ended his planned legal action against Spencer and the book’s publisher.
- Spencer continues to stand by his disputed account of his post-Diana funeral conversation with Morgan.
- Swan Song: Diana, My Sister has also triggered a rare Buckingham Palace response over claims concerning King Charles.
- Prince William has not publicly commented on his uncle’s memoir.
Why Piers Morgan is challenging the book
One of the disputed passages concerns a conversation Spencer says he had with Morgan after Diana’s death. Spencer wrote that Morgan was “surly” and annoyed when told he was not welcome at Diana’s funeral.
Spencer also connected Morgan’s reaction to his assumption that Morgan had been the Daily Mirror editor when the newspaper group published intrusive photographs of Diana at a gym in 1993.
That chronology was wrong. Morgan has pointed out that the photographs were published in November 1993, while he did not join the Daily Mirror until 1995. Spencer subsequently acknowledged the mistake and apologized.
Morgan, however, disputes more than the chronology. He has denied Spencer’s description of his tone during their telephone conversation and says he is continuing with legal action against Spencer and publisher Penguin. Morgan told Sky News that the longer the book remained on sale, the greater he believed the potential damages could become.
The bigger dispute over Diana’s legacy
Morgan’s criticism comes as Spencer faces broader scrutiny over the memoir’s portrayal of the Royal Family.
In Swan Song, Spencer alleges that then-Prince Charles reacted coldly after Diana’s death and said, during a discussion about her funeral, “we’ll forget her soon enough.” Buckingham Palace issued an unusually direct response, saying that grief can affect judgment and memory, without directly accepting Spencer’s account. Spencer has maintained that his recollection is accurate.
Spencer has also rejected the suggestion that the book was intended as a “hit piece” against King Charles. In an ITV interview on Wednesday, he said he stood by the memoir and described it as a tribute to Diana rather than an attack on the King.
Morgan has taken a different view, questioning whether readers can accept Spencer’s other disputed recollections after the acknowledged error involving him.
That distinction is important: Spencer has corrected one specific factual mistake, but he has not withdrawn his account of the telephone conversation with Morgan or his major claims about King Charles. Those remain disputed accounts rather than independently established facts.
William stays silent
Prince William has also been drawn into the wider attention surrounding the memoir, although there is no confirmed public reaction from him.
Sky News reported that William ignored a question about whether he had read his uncle’s book while attending an event in London. People also reported that both William and Prince Harry declined to comment when questioned about the memoir during separate public appearances.
For now, the central dispute remains between Morgan and Spencer: one says the memoir contains serious inaccuracies that undermine its credibility, while the other has acknowledged a specific error but continues to stand by the substance of his account.
As of September 23, 2026, Morgan says he intends to continue his legal action.
