Piers Morgan has received an apology from Charles Spencer over an inaccurate claim in the Earl’s memoir, Swan Song. Spencer mistakenly claimed that Morgan published “intrusive” photographs of Princess Diana while he was editor of the Daily Mirror. Morgan disputed the account and pointed to publication dates that show he was not working at the newspaper when the photographs appeared.
Morgan addressed the claim on his show, Piers Morgan Uncensored. He said Spencer’s book portrayed him in “the despicable manner imaginable” before saying, “There’s just one problem — it’s all bulls***. And very easy bulls*** for me to prove it.” Morgan explained that The Sunday Mirror published the photographs on November 7, 1993, while he joined The Daily Mirror in October 1995. Spencer’s representative later acknowledged the mistake and apologized.
Morgan says one false claim raises questions about the rest
Morgan described Spencer’s incorrect account as one of several “fabricated inaccuracies” that strike “at the heart of his credibility.” He also questioned the reliability of other details in the memoir. “If Earl Spencer can be so incredibly defamatorily wrong about such basic facts involving me, well, why should we believe anything else that he puts in this book?” Morgan said.
Spencer’s representative later confirmed that the Earl’s assumption about Morgan was incorrect. “As an historian, accuracy is important to Earl Spencer. He therefore wishes to clarify that his assumption was incorrect,” the representative said. Spencer apologized to Morgan for the error.
The statement also defended Spencer’s account of a separate phone call with Morgan. Spencer said he personally contacted Morgan to tell him that he was not welcome at Diana’s funeral. His representative said Morgan was “surly and annoyed” during the call.
Morgan has also said he will take legal action over the disputed passage. He said he would contact Spencer and his publishers through his lawyers and called for them to remove the claim from the memoir. He also requested a donation to the King’s Trust.
The dispute comes as Swan Song continues to attract attention in the UK. Spencer’s memoir also includes his account of a 1997 conversation with King Charles III, in which Charles was quoted as saying, “We’ll forget her soon enough,” while discussing Diana’s death. Buckingham Palace responded that grief can “cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory.”
It is not clear whether Morgan will accept Spencer’s apology.
