Earl Spencer apologises to Piers Morgan over inaccurate Princess Diana book claim as legal action looms
Earl Spencer has been forced to apologise over a bombshell claim about Piers Morgan and Princess Diana, but the fallout is far from over.
Earl Spencer has issued a formal apology to Piers Morgan over an inaccurate claim in his explosive new book about Princess Diana, but the mea culpa has failed to stop the broadcaster from pursuing legal action.
Princess Diana’s brother apologised after incorrectly linking Morgan to the publication of controversial photographs of the princess exercising in a gym in 1993.
In Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Earl Spencer recalled a conversation with Morgan following Diana’s death in 1997, when newspaper editors were told they would not be invited to her funeral.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“The only one who sounded surly, as opposed to merely confused or embarrassed, was Piers Morgan of the Mirror, who snarled with annoyance before he hung up.
“I assumed Morgan must be feeling particular guilt because, four years earlier, he and his Sunday Mirror counterpart had published photographs taken with hidden cameras by a gym owner. They were of Diana working out in a leotard.”
However, Morgan was not editor of the Daily Mirror when the photographs were published.
They appeared in the Sunday Mirror in November 1993, almost two years before Morgan joined the Daily Mirror in October 1995. At the time, he was working for rival newspaper The Sun.
Earl Spencer has now acknowledged the error.
“As an historian, accuracy is important to Earl Spencer,” his spokesperson said.
“He therefore wishes to clarify that his assumption was incorrect. Earl Spencer apologises to Mr Morgan for this error.”
However, the apology did not extend to Earl Spencer’s description of Morgan’s reaction to being excluded from Diana’s funeral.
“Earl Spencer’s account of his conversation with Piers Morgan is accurate,” his spokesperson said.
“Mr Morgan was surly and annoyed when Earl Spencer called personally to tell him that he was not welcome at his sister’s funeral.”
Morgan has rejected that characterisation and says the apology will not stop him pursuing legal action against Earl Spencer and publisher Penguin.
“Earl Spencer has apologised to me for his defamatory lies published in his new book,Swan Song, published today,” the TV host said in a social media statement.
“But I am pursuing legal action against him and his publisher Penguin to have the lies removed, and damages paid to the King’s Trust.”
Morgan has called for the current edition of the book to be withdrawn from sale and destroyed.
“The longer this book is on sale ... then the higher the damages will be and the more money that will go to the King’s Trust,” he told Sky News.
“They have published something which they have admitted is completely untrue, and which he has issued a public apology for. So now they should withdraw the book.”
Morgan said lawyers acting for him were preparing to contact both Penguin and Earl Spencer.
The dispute also threatens to deepen controversy surrounding other claims in Earl Spencer’s memoir, including his account of a conversation with then-Prince Charles following Diana’s death.
Morgan argued the acknowledged mistake raised broader questions about the book.
“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 on his show Piers Morgan Uncensored.
