Earl Spencer has made a series of extraordinary claims about King Charles’ reaction to Princess Diana’s death, describing a phone call in the aftermath of the 1997 Paris crash that he says has stayed with him for decades.

In his new memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Spencer claims the then Prince of Wales sounded “giddily elated” when he called following Diana’s death — a stark contrast, he says, to the stunned reactions of others who contacted him.

The Earl goes further, offering his own retrospective interpretation of Charles’ state of mind.

“Looking back now, I suspect the prince’s first reaction must have been to think more of how this event might free him to marry the woman he loved, rather than appreciating the loss of one he did not.”

That is Spencer’s interpretation of the conversation, rather than an established account of Charles’ thoughts at the time.

THE CALL THAT SPENCER SAYS HE NEVER FORGOT

According to the memoir extract, Charles told Spencer that he had informed Princes William and Harry of their mother’s death at Balmoral that morning.

But Spencer says the conversation felt “strangely matter-of-fact” given the enormity of what had happened.

He recalls other callers as being barely able to articulate their condolences, while claiming Charles sounded markedly different.

The account has emerged alongside an increasingly public clash over Spencer’s memoir, which is due to be published next Tuesday.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on these latest claims. However, after an earlier extract alleged that Charles said the royal family would “forget her soon enough”, a spokesman for the King issued a pointed response.

“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 statement did not directly address the allegations but highlighted the possibility that memories surrounding traumatic events can change over time.

SPENCER’S CLAIMS ABOUT DIANA’S STRUGGLES

The memoir also contains Spencer’s deeply personal account of what he believes Diana experienced privately.

He writes that he is convinced his sister had ADHD and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, saying he believes the condition intensified her response to criticism and rejection.

Spencer also claims Diana drove to Beachy Head, a notorious suicide location, on more than one occasion while contemplating ending her life.

He says her love for William and Harry ultimately stopped her from going further.

These are Spencer’s retrospective claims about his late sister and her mental health; they are not presented as a formal diagnosis made during Diana’s lifetime.

THE EXTRAORDINARY CLAIM ABOUT DIANA’S DIVORCE

Another passage recounts a lunch Spencer says he had with Diana at San Lorenzo, where he claims she unexpectedly told him she intended to divorce Charles.

According to his memoir, Spencer warned her that the public might blame her for destroying the royal fairytale.

He then claims Diana responded with an allegation about Charles’ relationship with his valet.

The account is presented solely through Spencer’s recollection in the memoir, and the allegation about Charles is unsubstantiated.

A MEMOIR ARRIVING AS DIANA’S LEGACY RETURNS TO THE SPOTLIGHT

Spencer’s book arrives as the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death approaches and decades after he delivered one of the most memorable speeches at her funeral.

He famously pledged that Diana’s “blood family” would protect William and Harry from being consumed by duty and tradition.

He has now said his decision to write the memoir came after years of interview requests and frustration over what he believes are inaccurate stories about his sister.

“With the 30th anniversary of Diana’s tragic death on the skyline,” Spencer said when announcing the book, he had been “inundated yet again” with requests to discuss her life.

His stated aim, he said, was to put down his own memories rather than continue reading accounts he believes contain “untruths”.

But the first extracts have already reopened one of the most painful chapters in the modern Royal Family’s history — with Spencer’s memories of Diana, and his claims about those around her, now facing renewed scrutiny.