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Earl Spencer's astonishing accusations of the King have left many Britons both shocked and divided
Britons have been left split over the legitimacy of Earl Charles Spencer's claims in his bombshell memoir about his late sister, Princess Diana.
Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, has resulted in some astonishing accusations against King Charles – so much so that Buckingham Palace was harried into giving a rare statement against the release.
Yesterday, in the first serialisation in the Daily Mail, Earl Spencer began a war of words with the Palace, after it was revealed he accused the then-Prince of Wales of saying that everyone would "forget" Diana.
The memoir states: "He [King Charles] unleashed down the phone what I have always taken to be his pent-up contempt for Diana, and his horror that the world was so bowled over by her death. 'Rest assured,' he hissed, 'we'll forget her soon enough!'"
Promptly, the Palace responded to the allegations in a statement: "While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss."
Now, the public have weighed in on the debacle – and it is decidedly mixed.
According to a recent YouGov study of 4,833 Britons, 36 per cent feel the accusation is probably or definitely not true.
In contrast, 31 per cent think the statement is at least probably true, while 33 per cent are unsure.
Those 65 and over are the most sympathetic to the King, with 47 per cent possibly or definitely feeling the statement is false, while just six per cent are certain of its truth.
In contrast, 25-49-year-olds are the most sceptical of the monarch, with 34 per cent believing the claims are at least probably true.
Just six per cent of the age group are certain the allegations are baseless.
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Thursday saw more astonishing allegations levelled at the King.
In the latest serialisation, Earl Spencer has alleged the King was left "giddy and elated" upon hearing of the death of Diana, claiming he sounded "like a lottery winner" during a phone call on the night of her death.
Diana's brother said that he feels the King's initial reaction "must have been to think more of how this event might free him to marry the woman he loved" as opposed to "appreciating the loss of one he did not".
The Earl also alleges that, on the eve of his wedding to Diana, Charles had told her "he was very happy to marry her, but he was not actually in love with her."
He writes that, following her tragic death in 1997, he was not consulted over his sister's funeral, owing to "tensions" between the Queen and Prince Charles's royal teams.
Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, comes to stores in the UK on Tuesday, September 22.
Buckingham Palace refused to comment further when approached by GB News.
