Aren’t You Glad You Are Not a Royal
Segment #1040
Yes. There really is an unusual convergence of events around the Royal Family right now, although I'd distinguish documented developments from the more dramatic "royal family in chaos" framing used by parts of the British press.
Prince Harry and Meghan have in fact returned to live in Britain with Archie and Lilibet after roughly six years in California. Harry made his first public appearance since the move at the Invictus Spirit Awards in London on September 17, saying, “It’s good to be back on British soil.” (ABC News)
More significantly, King Charles has already drawn a very clear institutional boundary. A letter issued on his behalf reiterated that Harry and Meghan remain non-working members of the Royal Family despite their return to Britain. The Sussexes were reportedly surprised by the timing and limited advance notice of that announcement. (CBS News)
At almost exactly the same moment, Charles Spencer, Diana's brother, has reopened one of the most damaging chapters in Charles's history. His new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is scheduled for publication on September 22. Penguin describes it as Spencer's attempt to tell Diana's story from his perspective and says it contains significant new revelations. (Penguin Random House)
The most explosive allegation is Spencer's claim that, during an argument after Diana's death about whether William and Harry should walk behind their mother's coffin, the then Prince Charles told him words to the effect that Diana would soon be forgotten. That is Spencer's allegation, not an established fact. Buckingham Palace has taken the unusual step of publicly disputing his recollection, suggesting that grief can affect memory and judgment. Spencer subsequently stood by his account and told the BBC that those were exactly the words Charles used. (The Guardian)
So there are really three stories colliding:
Harry and Meghan are physically back in Britain. That makes what had largely been a transatlantic family estrangement a domestic British story again.
Charles has publicly reinforced the institutional separation between the Sussexes and the working monarchy, apparently trying to prevent their return from being interpreted as a restoration of their former royal role. (CBS News)
Spencer is resurrecting the Diana conflict just as Harry returns. That is potentially the most uncomfortable element for Charles because it reconnects today's Harry–Charles dispute with the far more emotionally powerful history of Diana.
One important correction, though: I wouldn't state as fact that Spencer wrote the book "designed to hurt Charles." The timing and allegations certainly create problems for the King, but Spencer says his purpose is to correct what he regards as false accounts of Diana and present her life from her brother's perspective. Penguin similarly presents the book that way. (Penguin Random House)
What makes the situation particularly interesting is William's position. Reporting this week says William and Harry remain estranged, while Charles and Harry have at least communicated. That creates a rather strange configuration: Harry is back in Britain, Charles appears willing to maintain some personal contact while firmly policing the institutional boundary, and William reportedly remains much more distant. (People.com)
So I would characterize September 2026 not necessarily as the monarchy being in "chaos," but as the most complicated convergence of the Sussex and Diana stories in years. The danger for the Palace is that these cease to be separate narratives. Harry's return, his estrangement from William, Charles's treatment of the Sussexes, and Spencer's allegations about Charles's treatment of Diana can all become one continuous public story about the Windsor family.
And Swan Song isn't even officially out until Tuesday, September 22. The excerpts already published have prompted the Palace to respond publicly. That suggests the full book could keep this story running for some time. (The Independent)
I can monitor the fallout from Spencer's book and Harry and Meghan's return and let you know when there are significant new developments.