Diana Memoir Stolen
Dutch police investigate the theft of four copies of Charles Spencer's Diana memoir.
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Key Points
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Spencer said he wrote the memoir after being inundated with interview requests, wanting to record his own memories rather than repeatedly encounter what he described as opinions about Diana based on “untruths that have become accepted over time.”
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He described the book’s purpose as telling “the truth about Diana from her brother’s perspective,” adding that he wanted to speak on her behalf in the same openly positive spirit as his eulogy at her funeral.
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Spencer said after completing the recording of the memoir: “That is exactly what I wanted and needed to say — and she would, I reckon, have approved of every word.”
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Penguin Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is publishing the UK edition, while the Daily Mail is due to run an exclusive serialisation before the memoir reaches bookshops.
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The memoir was presented as the first occasion on which Spencer would speak “openly” and “at length” about his sister, with its publication timed as the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death approaches.
Four copies of Earl Spencer's highly anticipated memoir about his sister Princess Diana were stolen from a delivery truck in the Netherlands on September 15, just days before its worldwide release on September 22. BBC reported that the books, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, were taken from a lorry parked overnight at a roadside lay-by while the driver completed a mandatory rest period.
The theft has sparked speculation about whether it was a targeted operation to obtain early copies before the book's exclusive serialization in the Daily Mail and its commercial launch. Publishing sources called the break-in highly suspicious, noting that security measures surrounding the memoir had been "incredibly tight" and "nothing like this has ever happened before." Royal Central reported that the stolen copies were concealed beneath black plastic wrapping during transport from a Central European printer.
Spencer's Long-Awaited Account of His Sister
Earl Spencer has remained largely silent about Princess Diana for nearly 30 years, but says he decided to write the memoir after being "inundated with interview requests." He wanted to record his own memories rather than repeatedly hear what he describes as "opinions of others, many of which are based on untruths that have become accepted over time." The 384-page book covers their childhood together, Diana's troubled marriage to the then-Prince of Wales, and the royal family's response to her death in 1997.
After completing the audiobook recording, Spencer stated: "That is exactly what I wanted and needed to say — and she would, I reckon, have approved of every word." Daily Mail sources suggested the memoir contains "utterly devastating" revelations about King Charles's reaction when Diana died. The book is being published by Penguin Michael Joseph in the UK, with the Daily Mail set to run exclusive serialization before the official September 22 release.
Security Measures and Suspicious Timing
The stolen copies were part of thousands of books being transported from a Central European printer to a Dutch distribution warehouse. BBC reported that the books were wrapped in black plastic to prevent identification during transit — a standard security protocol for high-profile releases. Out of the entire cargo, precisely four copies were taken, which Daily Mail sources described as suspicious and suggesting a targeted operation.
Publishing insiders told the Daily Mail that the specific targeting of only four wrapped copies points toward an intentional effort to obtain early text for unauthorized leaks or rival publication. The timing intensifies just days before the memoir's exclusive serialization begins, amplifying public interest ahead of its release. Royal Central noted that Dutch police are actively investigating the roadside break-in.
Publication Plans Remain on Track
Despite the theft, Penguin Random House and Dutch publisher Overamstel Publishers confirmed that global distribution schedules remain unchanged. The Daily Mail is scheduled to begin exclusive serialization on September 20, with worldwide publication on September 22. The memoir is being translated and released across 12 languages to mark the approaching 30th anniversary of Princess Diana's death in August 1997.
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