By Kate Holton
LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – Britain’s King Charles is facing a trying few days, from screaming headlines raking over reportedly cruel comments about his late ex-wife Diana to his errant son Harry re-entering public life at an event in London.
Britain’s monarch was hosting some of the world’s biggest names in artificial intelligence in Scotland on Thursday, urging them to find a way forward that would protect humanity.
But nearly all Britain’s newspapers splashed their front pages with details from a soon-to-be-released book by Diana’s brother that quotes Charles as saying in the days after her death in 1997: “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough”.
In response, Buckingham Palace issued an unusually pointed statement: “His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.”
The Daily Mail, which is serialising the book, said on its website: “King at war”. The Daily Telegraph said “Palace hits back at Diana’s brother,” on its front page, while the Sun said: “Recollections may vary… again,” in reference to a previous royal response to criticism from Harry and his American wife Meghan.
The book, written by Earl Charles Spencer about his sister Diana, who died aged 36 in a Paris car crash, pursued by photographers, is being published next Tuesday.
Reactions from the public ranged from apathy to outrage.
“You can’t give oxygen to an argument that ultimately is non-provable,” said James Taylor, a 41-year-old sales executive in London, adding that Spencer’s claims could be viewed cynically as being about selling copies of the book.
But Terrie Sechrist, a 68-year-old attorney, felt the reported remarks reflected badly on the king: “(Diana) was his wife and the mother of his children. I just don’t know anyone with a heart that would say that.”
HARRY AND MEGHAN BACK IN THE COUNTRY
The publication comes as Harry, and possibly Meghan, prepare to attend a number of charitable events in the coming weeks.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children returned to live in Britain last month, six years after stepping down from royal duties and moving to the US, from where they regularly criticised the royal family.
The return was a surprise even to close family, with Harry’s father, the king, only being told days before the news became public. Harry and his brother, heir-to-the-throne Prince William, are also barely on speaking terms.
Seeking to prevent any confusion, the palace wrote to British officials to state that the king’s youngest son and his wife were not working royals, and should be treated as private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said they were surprised by the move.
DIANA’S ‘REVENGE DRESS’ GOES ON DISPLAY
The arrival of Earl Spencer’s book also comes just before a black dress, made infamous by Diana as the “revenge dress”, goes on display in London before a US auction in December.
Diana wore the strapless black silk evening dress to a London event in 1994, hours after Charles admitted committing adultery during their marriage, becoming one of the most famous images of one of the most photographed women in the world.
At the same time, the palace is still grappling with major issues that could shape the future of the British monarchy.
King Charles’ younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The royal family are also facing increasing questions over their wealth, and polls show that younger people are not overly interested in the institution.
(Reporting by Kate Holton, additional reporting by Marissa Davison and Francesca Halliwell; Editing by Alex Richardson)
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