John Crace Reviews Charles Spencer’s Eulogy as a ‘Swan Song’ for Diana

In a recent cultural review published by The Guardian, journalist John Crace examined Charles Spencer’s newly released memoir, “Diana, My Sister.” The book compiles Spencer’s globally celebrated funeral address alongside new reflections on his late sister, Princess Diana. Crace’s piece adopts a satirical tone, opening with an exaggerated narrative of celestial and heavenly celebration before dismissing it as insufficient coverage of the author himself.

Crace highlights Spencer’s assertion that the eulogy was intended to represent the “real” Diana, whom he claims only he fully understood. The reviewer notes Spencer’s admission of relying on “a glut of cliches,” such as describing Diana as having “the heart of a lion,” while simultaneously reflecting on his own youthful behavior during her marriage. Spencer is quoted recalling his state as a “callow youth awash with hormones” and gripped by the “self-centredness of adolescence,” adding with wry honesty that “nothing much has changed.”

The review also touches upon other subjects covered in the book, including King Charles’s “sausage fingers” and the description of Lady Diana’s mother, Frances Shand Kydd, as “toxic Raine.” Crace characterizes the writing style as featuring a “lavish sprinkling of adverbs,” positioning the work as a final, comprehensive statement from the earl on his famous sibling.