Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, expressed his discomfort with the common practice of strangers recounting their memories of where they were when she died. The tragic event occurred on August 31, 1997, when Diana was killed in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, France, at the age of 36. In a recent episode of the Rosebud podcast hosted by broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, Spencer shared his feelings on the matter.
“I try and be really busy on the 31st of August because it’s just terribly sad, really,” he said. Spencer described how encounters with strangers often lead to unsolicited memories about his sister’s death, which he finds difficult to navigate. “I tell you what I do find quite difficult, and this probably sounds ungracious, but occasionally, total strangers come up and feel they must tell me where they were when they heard that she died,” he remarked.
In a light-hearted moment, Spencer recounted an encounter with a woman from South Dakota, who claimed she had grown up alongside Princess Diana. He humorously noted her insistence that she had a closer connection to Diana than he did, saying, “So you just have to smile. It doesn’t matter.”
Brandreth, who served as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party, added to the conversation by sharing that one of his neighbors maintains a shrine to Princess Diana at home. This shrine, which has been preserved since her death, includes candles, flowers, and photographs. “It’s a curious thing. I have a neighbor in my part of South London who’s got a shrine to her in his home,” Brandreth explained.
Spencer found the existence of the shrine quite extraordinary. He reflected on the enduring popularity of Princess Diana, attributing it to her relatability and charisma. “I think it’s different things to different people,” Spencer stated. He noted that many women of a similar age to Diana felt a deep connection to her life experiences.
“Maybe they battled an eating disorder,” he continued, referencing Diana’s struggle with bulimia. “There was plenty of Diana to look into and take your bit out of, almost like a horoscope, you know. You can make it make sense for you.”
Spencer also quoted his close friend, Julian Fellowes, who observed that Diana’s appeal lay not only in her royal status and beauty but also in the emotional depth she conveyed. “Like the great film stars, there was something unhappy in there that really triggered an emotional response,” Fellowes remarked.
As the anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic passing approaches each year, Charles Spencer remains committed to remembering his sister in a way that honors her legacy while navigating the complexities of public memory.
