Earl Spencer revealed a brutal three-word nickname for King Charles in a brand-new interview for the Rosebud podcast. The late Princess Diana’s younger brother told host Gyles Brandreth about his decision to dispense with the idea of a traditional eulogy and opt to “speak to her” through what he wanted to say.
Whilst speaking about his feelings following his sister’s death in 1997, the 61-year-old said: “I was living in South Africa – I flew back from Cape Town overnight. [A] very very sweet stewardess helping me because I was in bits.”
He continued: “I like to keep busy. In those days, I had a big thick address book and I thought I want to find someone who is going to make the speech for her. I got to ‘Z’ and I hadn’t found anyone.”
He recalled that after speaking to his mother, she and his sisters had decided that he would be the one to read the speech.
After writing out a traditional eulogy, he then realised that it was “ridiculous” and “not who she was”.
He then added: “Then overnight I must have been chuntering away and then realised that my job wasn’t actually to do that, but it was to almost speak for her.
“I knew I’d be left at that stage, it had no legal standing, but I knew she’d left me as guardian of her sons [William and Harry]. Obviously, the other parent being alive meant nothing. But it meant something to me.”
His reference to the-then Prince Charles as “the other parent” was picked up on social media.
One person wrote: “His shade, is unmatched.” A second said: “I just love Charles Spencer calling Charles Windsor “the other parent” hahaha . He has such a way with words to show his feelings.”
A third wrote: “I noticed that too, I had a giggle.”
The Spencer family are said to have maintained a close and private relationship with both Prince William and Prince Harry.
