Full Breakdown
Morgan Threatens Legal Action Over Earl Spencer’s Diana Memoir
By Drooid · · How we work
The Legal Threat
On September 22 2026, former tabloid editor Piers Morgan announced that he will sue Charles Spencer, Earl Spencer, and the memoir’s publisher over passages in Spencer’s new book *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*. Morgan says the book contains “fabricated inaccuracies” that falsely link him to the publication of invasive photographs of Princess Diana taken at a gym in 1993. He said his lawyers will contact the Earl and Penguin Random House to demand removal of the disputed passages and a donation to the King’s Trust.
Background to *Swan Song*
Spencer’s 384-page memoir, released internationally on September 22, revisits his sister’s life and includes several explosive allegations. Spencer asserts that Morgan, then a senior Mirror editor, was responsible for publishing hidden-camera photos of Diana in a leotard on November 7, 1993. The memoir also recounts Spencer calling tabloid editors to withdraw their invitations to Diana’s funeral in 1997.
Morgan’s Official Response
Speaking on his YouTube program *Piers Morgan Uncensored*, Morgan rejected Spencer’s account as “defamatory” and “brazen falsity.” He emphasized that the photographs appeared in the *Sunday Mirror* in November 1993, whereas he did not join the *Daily Mirror* until October 1995 and was at the time writing a show-business column for the rival *Sun*. Morgan also noted his past interactions with Diana, including lunches at Kensington Palace and regular phone calls, to argue that Spencer’s portrayal of him is “incredibly, defamatorily wrong.” He warned that his lawyers will pursue legal remedies and seek a charitable contribution for the alleged damage.
Spencer’s Allegations (as reported)
Spencer’s narrative links Morgan to the 1993 gym photographs, describing the images as an “intolerable invasion of privacy” that prompted Diana to sue the Mirror Group and secure a £1 million legal settlement and £200 000 in charitable donations. He also claims Morgan was one of four tabloid editors publicly named and shamed after Diana’s death. Spencer’s book positions these claims as evidence of Morgan’s guilt and broader royal family tensions.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Publication responsibility: Spencer attributes the 1993 *Sunday Mirror* photos to Morgan; Morgan contends he was not employed by the Mirror Group at that time and therefore could not have overseen their publication.
- Legal outcomes: Spencer’s memoir states the Mirror Group paid Diana’s legal costs and made charitable donations, but no independent verification of those figures appears in the reporting.
What’s Next
Morgan said his legal team will contact Earl Spencer and Penguin Random House “in the meantime.” Spencer’s publicist, representing the publisher, has been approached for comment but has not issued a response. No court dates or settlement deadlines have been announced.