Earl Spencer has broken his silence on the conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Diana’s death.
Charles Spencer, 60, the younger brother of the late Princess of Wales, dismissed long-running claims that someone orchestrated her fatal 1997 car crash in Paris. Speaking to People magazine ahead of his memoir release, he rejected the speculation outright and explained why he finds the theories implausible.
“I’ve never believed in the conspiracy theory, because if somebody was conspiring to kill somebody very high profile like that, I don’t think that would be the manner that it would happen in,” he said.
The earl pointed to the unplanned nature of Diana’s final route as key evidence. “First of all, nobody planned for Diana to go through that tunnel that night… The fact that it ended up tragically being a car crash, I think, is purely a coincidence,” he continued. “By the way, if I thought otherwise, I would say so.”
Diana died in August 1997 from injuries sustained when the Mercedes she was traveling in crashed inside the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. She had been with her partner Dodi Fayed, chauffeur Henri Paul, and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones. Fayed and Paul died at the scene. Rees-Jones survived but was seriously injured.
Official investigations concluded the crash was a tragic accident caused by Paul speeding to evade paparazzi, with alcohol and prescription drugs found in his system. Yet decades of challenges to that finding have spawned an array of conspiracy claims.
Some theories accused then-Prince Charles of involvement in his ex-wife’s death. Others suggested British intelligence agency MI6 played a role. Speculation also swirled around Diana’s relationship with Fayed and whether alleged disapproval from powerful figures motivated a plot against him.
Additional theories focused on Diana supposedly being pregnant at the time of her death, though her post-mortem disproved this claim. The absence of CCTV footage along her final journey fueled further suspicion, as did witness accounts of a bright white flash before the car entered the tunnel. British Metropolitan Police enquiry Operation Pageant investigated and ruled out the flash theory.
Questions also arose about seatbelt tampering after no passengers were found wearing one, despite Diana’s sister having described her as “religious” about buckling up. Another persistent theory involved a white Fiat Uno that the Mercedes may have struck, with speculation about the driver’s identity and whether they were properly questioned.
Spencer’s comments come as his memoir, “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” is set for release on September 22. The book is being serialized by the outlet, with excerpts already prompting a response from Buckingham Palace alongside various claims against King Charles.
The earl has positioned the memoir as a tribute to his sister, whose death transformed both the royal family and public attitudes toward press intrusion. His rejection of conspiracy theories stands in contrast to Dodi Fayed’s father, Mohamed al-Fayed, who for years publicly maintained that the crash was deliberate.
Spencer’s interview represents his most direct public statement on the theories in years. His insistence that he would speak out if he believed otherwise underscores his conviction that the crash was exactly what investigations concluded: a terrible accident born of speed, pursuit, and chance.
The memoir’s timing arrives as renewed public fascination with Diana’s legacy continues, amplified by recent conspiracy speculation surrounding Catherine, Princess of Wales, during her absence from public view earlier this year following abdominal surgery.
Spencer’s book release is scheduled for September 22.