Royal Family News Hub

Author: Joe Mellor

  • Meghan Markle accused of ‘cashing in’ on Earl Spencer’s memoir

    Meghan Markle accused of ‘cashing in’ on Earl Spencer’s memoir

    Meghan Markle has been accused of cashing in on Earl Spencer’s explosive new memoir after her As Ever brand announced the return of its Italian leather bookmarks — just as the book hits the shelves.

    The Duchess of Sussex has not publicly commented on Spencer’s book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which contains controversial claims about the Royal Family and the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death.

    But a newsletter sent to As Ever customers announced that its bestselling £13.50 leather bookmark would be returning.

    The bookmark is embossed with the phrase “fell asleep here”, with the promotional email telling customers: “Tomorrow, our bestselling Italian leather bookmark is back.”

    The timing quickly sparked mockery on social media, with some users joking about the apparent connection between the bookmark and Spencer’s new book.

    One X user wrote: “Just surprised the bookmark doesn’t come in a bundle with Charles Spencer’s new book.”

    Another posted: “I see Meghan Markle has released a nice new bookmark on the day Earl Spencer’s Diana book is released. Subtle ‘As Ever’.”

    A third joked about getting the bookmark ready for the arrival of Swan Song.

    Spencer, 62, has made a series of claims in his memoir about the aftermath of Diana’s death, including allegations about conversations with King Charles.

    He claims Charles appeared “giddily elated” during one phone call and later told him: “We’ll forget her soon enough.”

    Spencer says he was so shocked by the alleged comments that he hung up the phone and later told friends and family about Charles’s behaviour.

    He also discusses the controversy surrounding whether Princes William and Harry should walk behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession.

    Buckingham Palace has denied the allegations.

    Meghan has not suggested publicly that the bookmark launch was connected to Spencer’s memoir.

  • Prince Harry’s Speech fails as Piers Morgan Delivers Brutal Verdict

    Prince Harry’s Speech fails as Piers Morgan Delivers Brutal Verdict

    Prince Harry was left staring into an awkward silence during a major speech in New York after a technical failure brought his address to an abrupt halt — and Piers Morgan was quick to weigh in.

    The Duke of Sussex had been delivering a passionate warning about the dangers artificial intelligence could pose to children when his teleprompter suddenly stopped working.

    Harry appeared caught off guard before eventually bringing the first part of his speech to an uncomfortable conclusion.

    The Duke later returned to the stage, around 40 minutes after the interruption, and attempted to turn the extraordinary mishap into a joke.

    Referencing the subject of his speech, Harry quipped that AI had somehow “got into” his address and suggested it was interesting to see what the technology had been concerned about.

    But the incident did not escape the attention of Piers Morgan.

    The broadcaster reacted to footage of the moment on social media with a particularly sharp jab at Harry, describing him as a “virtue-signalling halfwit.”

    Morgan’s remark immediately added another layer to an already uncomfortable moment, with the post attracting a mixture of criticism and support online.

    Harry had been speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting, where he warned that AI could pose a new and potentially serious threat to children’s wellbeing.

    He argued that while social media had been designed to capture people’s attention, artificial intelligence could go further by becoming embedded in people’s personal relationships.

    Speaking as a father, Harry urged world leaders not to wait years before addressing the potential risks to children.

    His message was briefly overshadowed, however, when the very technology at the centre of his warning appeared to become the backdrop to the speech’s most memorable moment.

    A spokesman for the Duke later confirmed that the interruption was caused by a fault with the teleprompter system.

    After eventually returning to the stage, Harry completed his address and continued with his warning about the growing influence of AI.

    But with the technical failure caught on camera — and Morgan’s blistering response spreading online — the speech quickly became as much about the unexpected interruption as Harry’s message itself.

  • Prince Harry’s AI Speech Leaves Royal Fans saying same thing

    Prince Harry’s AI Speech Leaves Royal Fans saying same thing

    Prince Harry has faced a wave of online reaction after speaking about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence during an appearance in New York.

    The Duke of Sussex was discussing the risks posed by rapidly developing AI technology when a technical problem with the autocue reportedly caused his speech to come to an early end.

    Following the incident, some people on social media questioned Harry’s decision to speak on the subject and debated what qualifications or experience he has in the field of artificial intelligence.

    Several commentators argued that Harry is not an AI specialist, while others questioned whether his involvement in the discussion was connected to his wider public and charitable work.

    The reaction was mixed, with some users focusing on the technical difficulties during the speech and others directing their attention towards the wider subject matter.

    Harry has increasingly used his public platform to discuss issues he considers important, including technology, mental health, the environment and the wellbeing of younger generations.

    His latest appearance has nevertheless prompted renewed debate among online royal watchers, with much of the discussion centring on whether public figures should comment on specialist subjects outside their professional backgrounds.

    The controversy comes as Harry and Meghan continue to maintain a high-profile public presence in the United States, following their decision to step back from their former roles as working members of the Royal Family.

  • 7 Earl Spencer memoir reveals

    7 Earl Spencer memoir reveals

    Earl Spencer’s new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, has reignited controversy surrounding Princess Diana’s life, her relationship with the Royal Family and the events following her death in 1997.

    The 62-year-old Earl, Diana’s younger brother, makes a series of striking claims in the book, including accounts of conversations with members of the Royal Family and allegations concerning Mohamed Al Fayed.

    Claims about Mohamed Al Fayed

    Spencer writes that Diana told him about an alleged incident involving Mohamed Al Fayed during the early stages of her relationship with his son, Dodi.

    According to Spencer’s account, Diana described the encounter as deeply uncomfortable but later recalled it with a degree of dark humour.

    Al Fayed, who died in 2023, has faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. The Metropolitan Police has previously said it was examining allegations relating to his conduct.

    Spencer’s account of Charles’s reaction to Diana’s death

    One of the memoir’s most contentious passages concerns a telephone conversation Spencer says he had with the then-Prince Charles shortly after Diana’s death.

    Spencer claims Charles sounded unusually upbeat when he called to discuss the tragedy. He says the conversation left him shocked and that, in retrospect, he interpreted Charles’s reaction as being connected to the possibility of moving on from his former marriage.

    Spencer also recounts a later disagreement concerning William and Harry’s involvement in Diana’s funeral procession.

    He claims Charles became extremely angry during the conversation and allegedly told him that Diana would eventually be forgotten.

    These claims have been disputed by the Palace. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said that grief can affect memory and judgement, particularly when painful events are recalled many years later.

    Diana reportedly considered cancelling her wedding

    The memoir also revisits Diana’s relationship with Charles before their 1981 wedding.

    Spencer claims that, after attending Prince Andrew’s 21st birthday celebrations, Diana was deeply upset by Charles’s apparent lack of interest in her. According to his account, she subsequently told their father that she could not marry someone who did not love her.

    Her father, Spencer says, believed the wedding could not realistically be cancelled so close to the ceremony.

    An offer to restore Diana’s title

    Spencer further claims that, following Diana’s funeral, Robert Fellowes, the Queen’s private secretary and Diana’s brother-in-law, approached him about the possibility of restoring Diana’s royal title posthumously.

    Diana had lost the style “Her Royal Highness” following her divorce from Charles in 1996, although she retained the title “Diana, Princess of Wales”.

    Spencer says he questioned the value of restoring the title after his sister’s death.

    A claim involving Queen Elizabeth II

    The memoir also contains an account concerning Spencer’s father, John Spencer, and the future Queen Elizabeth II.

    Spencer writes that his father had a romantic connection with Elizabeth before she became Queen, but says Lord Mountbatten intervened and made clear that such a relationship could not continue.

    The claim concerns events from decades before Diana’s death and is presented in the memoir as part of Spencer’s recollections of his family history.

    Harry and a possible Diana documentary

    Spencer also refers to approaches he says he received about appearing in documentaries concerning Diana, including an approach associated with his nephew, Prince Harry.

    He says he had repeatedly declined requests to participate in documentaries about his sister, despite continuing interest in Diana’s life nearly three decades after her death.

    The memoir comes as the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death approaches and presents Spencer’s personal account of his sister, her marriage, her death and the aftermath.

    The claims about Charles have attracted particular attention because they concern private conversations that took place decades ago. Spencer maintains that he is recording his own recollections as an eyewitness to events, while the Palace has challenged the reliability of memories shaped by grief.

  • Meghan Markle Receives Warm Welcome During UK Return, Friend Says

    Meghan Markle Receives Warm Welcome During UK Return, Friend Says

    Meghan Markle has reportedly been receiving a warm welcome from people in Britain during her latest return to the UK, according to one of her close friends.

    Kelly McKee Zajfen, who has been spending time with the Duchess of Sussex and her family, shared a series of photographs from their time together and described the response Meghan has received as “loving” and “beautiful to witness.”

    Zajfen, who appeared alongside Meghan in her Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, referred to the Duchess as her “bestie” while documenting their recent days together.

    The photographs showed Meghan enjoying relaxed family moments, including a visit to a country pub where she was pictured holding Zajfen’s six-month-old son, Jack. Prince Harry was also photographed playing with the baby.

    In her social media post, Zajfen thanked the people she and Meghan had encountered during the visit, saying they had been particularly affectionate towards her friend. She also claimed that some people had told Meghan they had missed her during her time away from Britain.

    “She missed you too,” Zajfen wrote.

    The visit has provided a glimpse into Meghan and Harry’s quieter life in the UK, with the couple spending time with friends and family and enjoying everyday activities away from the spotlight.

    Zajfen also described the trip as an emotional and memorable experience, mentioning walks, meals and other simple family moments. She highlighted enjoying traditional British food, including fish and chips, while spending time with Meghan and her children.

    Princess Lilibet also appeared in one of the photographs, pictured from behind as she looked towards baby Jack.

    Reflecting on the trip, Zajfen wrote that spending time with her friend and experiencing the UK through her eyes had been particularly special.

    She added that the visit had left her “full of heart” and suggested that she would be taking fond memories of Britain home with her.

    The photographs offer a rare look at Meghan and Harry during their time in the UK, as attention continues to surround their return and their life away from their former royal base.

  • Watch: Paul Burrell slams Spencer

    Watch: Paul Burrell slams Spencer

    Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, has spoken out about Earl Spencer’s new memoir, offering a very different perspective on some of the book’s claims about the late princess and the Royal Family.

    Burrell, who worked closely with Diana for years before her death in 1997, has questioned several of the accounts contained in Spencer’s memoir, particularly the descriptions of events surrounding Diana’s death.

    One of the most contentious claims concerns King Charles and his reaction after Diana died in a Paris car crash.

    Spencer describes a phone conversation in which he says the King sounded unusually upbeat. Burrell, however, has strongly disputed that portrayal, saying his own experience at the time was completely different.

    The former butler recalled seeing Charles in Paris after Diana’s death and said the King appeared deeply distressed. According to Burrell, Charles looked pale and shaken and had clearly been crying after spending time with Diana’s sisters.

    Burrell has also questioned how closely Spencer was involved in Diana’s life during her final years. He suggested that his own long-standing relationship with the princess gave him a different insight into what she experienced behind the scenes.

    The comments add another layer to the growing debate surrounding Spencer’s memoir, which contains a series of personal recollections and claims about Diana, her marriage to Charles and the events surrounding her death.

    Burrell has made clear that he does not recognise some of the picture presented in the book, arguing that his memories of Diana and the people around her differ significantly from Spencer’s account.

    His intervention comes as the memoir continues to generate controversy, with several of its claims being challenged by people who knew Diana or were involved in events described in the book.

    For Burrell, the issue is not simply about competing memories of the past. He believes that understanding Diana’s final years requires considering the people who were actually present in her day-to-day life.

    The former butler’s comments are therefore likely to add further scrutiny to Spencer’s account as readers examine the memoir’s portrayal of Diana, her family and the Royal Family.

  • What Piers Morgan’s Legal Threat has done to Spencer’s Diana Memoir

    What Piers Morgan’s Legal Threat has done to Spencer’s Diana Memoir

    Piers Morgan’s legal threat against Earl Spencer has reportedly resulted in more than an apology, with future editions of Spencer’s new memoir expected to contain changes to disputed passages about the broadcaster.

    Spencer’s book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, includes claims about Morgan’s involvement in the publication of photographs of Princess Diana taken while she was exercising. Morgan strongly rejected the account, arguing that the timeline presented in the book was incorrect.

    Morgan pointed out that the photographs were published by the Sunday Mirror in 1993, while he did not join the Daily Mirror until 1995. At the time the photographs appeared, he said, he was working for The Sun, meaning he had no responsibility for the Mirror publication.

    Following Morgan’s objections, Spencer apologized for the disputed claims. Morgan said he accepted the apology but maintained that he intended to take legal action against Spencer and the book’s publishers.

    He has also called for the disputed material to be removed from future copies of the memoir.

    According to a report cited by AOL, the dispute could now require the publisher to undertake a costly reprint so that the relevant passages are corrected. A source described the situation as particularly difficult because copies of the book had already been printed and released for sale.

    The controversy comes as Spencer’s memoir has attracted significant attention for its account of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as claims concerning other members of the royal family.

    Morgan has questioned whether the disputed account should affect readers’ confidence in other claims contained in the book, given what he describes as basic factual errors concerning his own involvement.

    The legal dispute therefore appears set to continue despite Spencer’s apology, with the focus now shifting to how the publisher handles future editions of the memoir.