Managing Reactions Across the Family

• A Surprised Family:

  “I think they were very surprised. They hadn’t seen it coming… All four of them [William, Harry, Sarah, and Jane], I told them exactly the same time. And I can say that Harry is completely fine about it.”

• Harry’s Main Concern: Spencer noted that the Duke of Sussex primarily wanted reassurance that the book wouldn’t embarrass him:

  “I said, ‘There isn’t.’ I think it’s natural that people so in the public eye are concerned how they will come across in the book. But I could reassure both of them that they’re, of course, in the book, but really as examples of two little boys who had the most exceptional mother, I’m not in any way compromising their privacy at all.”

• His Sisters’ Hesitation: Spencer acknowledged that Lady Sarah and Lady Jane were initially hurt by being kept in the dark, explaining that writing the book couldn’t become a group project:

  “I think they were hurt that I hadn’t told them, to be honest. I said, ‘I was going to hurt you either way, because I was either going to tell you and still write it how I wanted it. It wasn’t going to be a committee effort.’ I wanted them to be able to put their hand up and say, ‘Well, we didn’t know he was doing it,’ in case there’s backlash or whatever.”

The Portrayal of King Charles III

“Yeah, that was a concern. I mean, I don’t want this to sound loaded, but there was an awful lot I could have put in and I didn’t. If I wanted to write a scandalous book about Prince Charles or King Charles as he is now, it would really be a jaw-dropper, but I’m not here to do that.”

A Brother’s Final Word

“The aim of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective, just as I attempted to do when speaking at her funeral… At heart, this is a brother’s simple tribute to an extraordinary sister… and she would, I reckon, have approved of every word.”