King Charles has issued a sharp response to claims made by Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, in a new book, according to NBC News. The dispute centers on Spencer's account of the King's reaction to Diana's death, with Spencer alleging that Charles "sounded elated" when he learned the news, The Telegraph reports.
According to People.com, Spencer's book also claims Diana told him that Charles "is in love with his valet." CBS News reports that Spencer further alleges the King told him, "we'll forget her soon enough," before Diana's funeral. Yahoo reports Spencer described Charles as "elated like a lottery winner" following Diana's death.
The claims arrive nearly three decades after Diana died in a 1997 car crash in Paris, an event that prompted widespread public mourning in Britain and intense scrutiny of the royal family's response. Spencer, Diana's younger brother, delivered a widely noted eulogy at her funeral that was critical of the press and the monarchy's treatment of his sister.
The book adds to a long history of public tension between Spencer and the royal family over Diana's legacy and how she was treated during and after her marriage to Charles.
Buckingham Palace has not detailed the full contents of the King's response beyond what NBC News has reported. Further statements from the palace or from Spencer's representatives may follow as the book receives wider coverage.