Charles Spencer, who holds the title Earl Spencer, said on the BBC that, as an uncle who watched his sister die in “very, very preventable circumstances,” he would “veer towards protection” for his nephew, the fifth‑in‑line to the throne and a former soldier, and for Meghan Markle.
Spencer recalled that Diana died at age 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash while photographers on motorbikes pursued her vehicle, a tragedy that sparked a national outpouring of grief and a debate over the media’s role in her death.
Harry and Meghan, who moved to California in 2020 after stepping back from senior royal duties, have recently returned to Britain and are believed to be residing in the Cotswolds, prompting renewed scrutiny of their security arrangements after the government stripped them of automatic police protection.
Security expert Paul Lewis told the London Telegraph’s Daily T podcast that a full police‑led detail for the Sussexes could cost up to £12 million a year and that only armed police can provide the level of protection required, something private security firms cannot offer in the UK.
Spencer’s remarks come as he prepares to publish his memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, timed for the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death. The book alleges that the late Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, made “giddily elated” comments in the hours after Diana’s death and told Spencer the world would soon forget her.
The royal family faces a delicate balancing act: the King, currently undergoing cancer treatment, must address the security concerns raised by his brother while managing the fallout from Spencer’s accusations, which the palace has met with a statement that grief can cloud judgment and memory.