Spencer’s book, released on Tuesday, contains a series of accusations, including a claim that King Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” after Diana’s 1997 car crash and that he sounded “giddily elated” in its aftermath. The memoir also suggests Morgan was responsible for publishing covert photographs of Diana in a leotard at a London gym, a story the presenter has vehemently denied.
On Wednesday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, Morgan said the royal family were “spitting blood” over the memoir and described the book as a “deliberate attempt to destroy King Charles’s reputation”. He added that he had instructed his lawyers to send a legal letter to both Spencer and Penguin, demanding the removal of the alleged falsehoods and seeking damages for the king’s trust.
Morgan also called on Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, to pulp remaining copies of the memoir. He told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme that he had asked his lawyers to demand the book be withdrawn from sale immediately, stating, “If that means you have to pulp your book, well that’s on you.”
Spencer issued an apology for the specific claim about the 1993 photographs, acknowledging that he had incorrectly assumed Morgan’s involvement. In a statement, the earl said, “I apologise to Mr Morgan for this error. As a historian, accuracy is important to me.” He maintained that his account of a phone call in which he told Morgan he was not welcome at Diana’s funeral was accurate.
The dispute centres on a 1993 Sunday Mirror story that published hidden‑camera images of Diana exercising. At the time, Morgan was a columnist for The Sun and did not join the Daily Mirror until 1995, a fact he highlighted repeatedly to refute Spencer’s allegation.
Representatives for both Earl Spencer and Buckingham Palace have been contacted for comment. The legal threat adds another chapter to the long‑standing tensions between the royal family, their close relatives, and members of the British media over the handling of Diana’s legacy.