Swan Song.jpg
Swan Song.jpg

Swan Song by Charles Spencer

from $13.99
Hardcover:

The #1 New York Times bestseller

Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles.

“A brotherly tribute to the People’s Princess, no holds barred . . . Full of love and vengeance.” —The New York Times

“Charles Spencer was there for all this history, indelibly present in one of the most iconic tableaux of the late 20th century . . . After holding back for so long, his memoir finally tells us what it was like." —Tina Brown, Fresh Hell Substack

Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, writes about his sister Diana from a vantage no biographer can claim: as the brother who grew up beside her. His memoir follows their childhood bond through her life as a global icon, her marriage to the Prince of Wales, and her struggles with relentless media scrutiny.

Swan Song closes with the week of her death in 1997, a stretch he revisits in detail.

Spencer is also a historian and broadcaster with nine nonfiction books to his name, so the personal memory here is paired with a historian's eye.

The New York Times described the result as a brotherly tribute with no holds barred, and other reviewers point to the depth of feeling behind it.

For readers curious about Diana beyond the headlines, it offers a family insider's account of her private life and the cost of living in public.

The #1 New York Times bestseller

Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles.

“A brotherly tribute to the People’s Princess, no holds barred . . . Full of love and vengeance.” —The New York Times

“Charles Spencer was there for all this history, indelibly present in one of the most iconic tableaux of the late 20th century . . . After holding back for so long, his memoir finally tells us what it was like." —Tina Brown, Fresh Hell Substack

Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, writes about his sister Diana from a vantage no biographer can claim: as the brother who grew up beside her. His memoir follows their childhood bond through her life as a global icon, her marriage to the Prince of Wales, and her struggles with relentless media scrutiny.

Swan Song closes with the week of her death in 1997, a stretch he revisits in detail.

Spencer is also a historian and broadcaster with nine nonfiction books to his name, so the personal memory here is paired with a historian's eye.

The New York Times described the result as a brotherly tribute with no holds barred, and other reviewers point to the depth of feeling behind it.

For readers curious about Diana beyond the headlines, it offers a family insider's account of her private life and the cost of living in public.

  • Publisher: Penguin Press

    Title: Swan Song: Diana, My Sister

    Author: Charles Spencer

    On Sale Date: September 22, 2026

    ISBN 13: 979-8-217-37974-3

    Format: Hardcover

    Retail Price: $35.00

    Page Count: 384

    Dimensions: 6-1/8 x 9-1/4 inches

  • Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, is an author, historian, broadcaster, and journalist with nine nonfiction books to his name, four of them Sunday Times bestsellers. He worked for NBC News from 1986 to 1995, contributes to the Financial Times, and studied modern history at Magdalen College, Oxford.

  • Critics are calling it touching, devastating, and compelling:

    • The New York Times called it a brotherly tribute to the People's Princess with no holds barred, full of love and vengeance.

    • The Guardian described it as fascinating, truly touching, and devastating.

    • The Times called it compelling, a solemn act of brotherly devotion.

    • The Daily Express described a poignant, honest portrayal built to endure.

This book is for you if

  • You want a family insider's account of Diana's life rather than a distant biography.

  • You're interested in the bond between a famous woman and the brother who knew her before the world did.

  • You're drawn to royal history and the pressures of life under constant media attention.

  • You appreciate memoirs written by a trained historian and broadcaster.

  • You're looking for a book that follows Diana from childhood through the week of her death in 1997.

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