Charles Spencer, the brother of the late British Princess Diana, is set to publish a book about his sister's life, promising to reveal his account of the truth about her in the run-up to the 30th
anniversary of her death.
Diana, the first wife of King Charles, died aged 36 in August 1997 when the car carrying her and her companion Dodi Al Fayed crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris while attempting to evade paparazzi photographers pursuing them on motorcycles.
The book, A Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, written by her brother, better known as the Earl Spencer, is due to be published in the UK next month and released worldwide. It will tell Diana's story from his perspective, according to publisher Michael Joseph, part of Penguin Random House.
"As the 30th anniversary of Diana's tragic death approaches, I have once again been inundated with requests for interviews about my sister," Spencer said in a statement.
"This has convinced me, once and for all, to set down my own thoughts and memories, rather than once again endure the discomfort of reading other people's accounts, many of which are based on untruths that have become accepted over time," he added.
Diana became the world's most photographed woman after marrying Charles in a lavish ceremony in 1981. Their marriage later broke down, and the couple divorced in 1996.
At her funeral, Spencer delivered a celebrated speech in which he strongly criticised the royal family.
"The purpose of this book is to tell the truth about Diana from the perspective of her brother, just as I tried to do in my speech at her funeral. As with that speech, I want to speak for Diana and do so openly and positively," Spencer said.
Daniel Bunyard, publishing director at Penguin Random House, described the book as one that would have "historical significance." Photo by Edwardx, Wikimedia commons.
