KEY POINT
- Harry was 12 when Princess Diana died and was among those who walked behind her coffin during the September 1997 funeral.
- Charles Spencer says he became particularly concerned about Harry during the journey from London to the Spencer family estate at Althorp.
- Spencer’s account appears in his memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, where he reflects on the effect of Diana’s death on her sons.
In his memoir, Spencer recalls travelling with the royal family from London to Althorp after Diana’s funeral. He describes being troubled by what he considered a lack of obvious care for Harry as the boy dealt with the loss of his mother.
Spencer writes that Harry needed the affection and reassurance he had lost with Diana’s death. He argues that, rather than receiving the calm support he believed was necessary, his nephew appeared increasingly overwhelmed by grief.
The account is Spencer’s personal recollection and does not independently establish how Harry was cared for by every member of the Royal Family. His comments instead provide his own perspective on what he witnessed around one of the most difficult moments of Harry’s childhood.
The Funeral That Stayed With Spencer
Spencer has also revisited his objections to William and Harry walking behind their mother’s coffin. He considered the arrangement inappropriate for children but later said the brothers agreed to take part provided their grandfather, Prince Philip, accompanied them.
The procession took place on Sept. 6, 1997, following Diana’s death in a Paris car crash. Harry was 12 and William was 15 at the time.
Spencer’s reflections form part of Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, his memoir about Diana and the events surrounding her life and death. The book also revisits the media pressure surrounding Diana and draws comparisons with the scrutiny faced by Harry and Meghan in later years.
Spencer’s central argument is that Harry needed greater emotional support after losing Diana. He believes more attentive care during that period could have helped his nephew as he grew older, but that conclusion remains Spencer’s personal assessment rather than an independently established explanation for Harry’s later life.
