Harry ‘knew about Earl Spencer’s bombshell memoir’ amid fiery row between King and Diana’s brother

PRINCE Harry was reportedly aware of Earl Spencer’s bombshell memoir as the King enters a war of words over the book. In his book, Princess Diana’s brother, 62, claimed Charles told him she would be “quickly forgotten” in the days after her death in 1997. Prince Harry today attended the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards at Royal Vaval College London despite the feud brewing around his uncle’s memoir Credit: Simon Jones The King appeared in good spirits today as he met with AI leaders at Dumfries House in Scotland Credit: Reuters Harry was reportedly given advanced warning that the book would be published, the Daily Mail reports. Despite Diana’s youngest son, Harry, knowing the book was to be published he had not seen a copy of the memoir beforehand, a source claimed. Sign up for the Royals newsletter Thank you! Further allegations about then-Prince Charles’ behaviour in the wake of his ex-wife’s death have now emerged in the Earl’s bombshell memoir. Last night, Buckingham Palace hit back after Charles, 77, was since accused of behaving like an “elated lottery winner” when delivering news of Diana’s death to her brother. Meghan shared an image of the family’s walk to Diana’s final resting place Credit: Instagram Some sources have claimed Harry was aware of the allegations in the Earl’s bombshell memoir Credit: Alamy The Earl alleged a row broke out over the Prince’s roles in Diana’s funeral Credit: AFP Harry was aware of the contents of the memoir, some sources claimed Credit: Getty The incendiary comments emerged as another excerpt from the Earl’s tell-all book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, were released today. The Earl, who said the phone was ringing constantly at the time, claimed in his book: “Unlike my other callers, who were stunned, barely able to articulate their condolences and offers of help, he sounded giddily elated – like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time.” King Charles was also alleged to have sounded “strangely matter-of-fact, given the enormity of the disaster,” the Earl alleged. Harry met with Charles Spencer when he stayed at Althorp in July this year. Most read in Royals He also made a pilgrimage to his mum’s grave with Meghan, Archie and Lilibet ahead of their return to the UK. Meghan shared an image of the family’s walk to her final resting place on the Northamptonshire estate where she grew up. In the wake of the Earl Spencer’s bombshell claims royal aides suggested grief could “cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory.” And last night the palace issued a put-down of the claims against the King made in the memoir. A Royal spokesman said: “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.” It echoes the late Queen’s remarks that “recollections may vary” in the wake of Harry and Meghan’s bombshell Oprah interview. The King and the Earl engaged in a war of words over the bombshell book Credit: PA Harry visited Diana’s resting place with his family earlier this year Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Friends of the King insisted that the behaviour suggested in the book is “just not in the King’s nature” and that he wouldn’t have used “this kind of language” about Diana. The alleged comments were made during an explosive row over whether William and Harry, then 15 and 12, should walk behind Diana’s coffin. Diana’s brother said they clashed over whether the young princes should follow the procession during the funeral in September 1997. The Earl claims he was told by a senior Palace aide that the princes would walk behind her coffin, to which he replied: “That’s not going to happen”. He says Charles phoned minutes later, before allegedly questioning the Spencer family’s sense of duty. The then-Prince of Wales is said to have referenced his own role at his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten’s funeral in 1979. And the Earl’s suggestion that Diana would not have wanted her sons to endure such a public ordeal was met with fury by Charles, he claimed. The book claims Charles “went nuts” when the Earl pointed out he had been 30 at that funeral. His description of the shocking outburst threatens to reopen the wounds of the “War of the Waleses” and Prince Charles’s bitter split and eventual divorce from Diana. She was 36 when she died in a Paris car crash with her partner Dodi Fayed and chauffeur Henri Paul. Swan Song, the Earl’s tell-all memoir about her life and death is being released 30 years after he delivered a defiant eulogy at her funeral. The memoir will be published in the UK next Tuesday and translated into 12 languages. Other shock claims from the Earl’s memoir include the King allegedly saying he didn’t love Diana before their wedding and Charles allegedly calling her “chubby.” Insiders have claimed that Harry knew the book was coming and knew what was in it, but others have claimed that Harry, the palace and William were unaware of the contents of the memoir. Despite the upset, the King appeared in good spirits today as he met with AI leaders at Dumfries House in Scotland, the headquarters for The King’s Foundation. The Firm put on a show of strength today after Charles was embroiled in a fiery row with Princess Diana’s brother over bombshell claims. The Prince and Princess of Wales were all smiles when they arrived on Bute to celebrate the Scottish island’s community. Meanwhile, the Princess Royal Anne visited Cannock Chase War Cemetery to mark the refurbishment and development of the new History Centre in Cannock, Staffordshire. Comment now