Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, recently opened up about the poignant experience of delivering her eulogy. He told the audience that he composed the emotional tribute in only an hour and a half. What began with a different vision admittedly quickly morphed into a deeply personal meditation on Diana’s life. After a night of sober reflection, Spencer knew he would need to pen the eulogy himself. He decided on this approach while on his overnight flight from Cape Town to London to attend the funeral.
We were talking about Spencer’s experience of arriving at Heathrow for the first time and being completely overwhelmed. Suddenly he was overcome by a rush of doubt. He looked at his mother and told her that he did not know who could ever give a speech of such significance. He stated, “I got off the plane in Heathrow, called my mother, I said, ‘I can’t think who’s going to give the eulogy. And I’ve got an awful feeling it’s going to have to be me.’”
The Process of Writing the Eulogy
The job of writing and delivering the eulogy was not a task that Spencer ever expected to have to write himself. He had that big, thick address book and he knew all the people that were in there and who to talk to for the eulogy. As he began to process his sister’s life and legacy, an undeniable urge to speak out came over him. He understood that he was the one who had to speak her truth.
That meant that on Tuesday night, Spencer could sprawl in front of his television. He collected his thoughts and wrote some notes down to begin the eulogy he was preparing to write. To his credit, the urgency of the moment pushed Collins to act. Overcome with emotion, he channeled his heartbreak into words that would do justice to Diana’s memory.
His last eulogy had a way of infusing joy and strengthening community even in moments of profound grief. He later reflected on his role, stating, “And then overnight, I must have been chuntering away and I realised that my job actually wasn’t to do that, but it was almost to speak for her.”
The Emotional Delivery at the Funeral
Spencer’s delivery of the eulogy during Princess Diana’s funeral was met with admiration and praise. Most said it was “extraordinary,” even as he choked up with emotion near the end. He gave the eulogy as a man broken beyond repair. The prince remembered the heavy emotional burden of standing beside their mother’s casket with Prince William and Prince Harry.
“It was the worst part of the day by a considerable margin, walking behind, well, my sister’s body, with two boys who were obviously massively grieving their mother,” Spencer shared in a candid reflection on the funeral procession.
In a notable moment of self-editing, Spencer chose to remove a reference to media mogul Rupert Murdoch from his speech. He called it “unnecessary” and turned his attention toward celebrating Diana’s spirit. “I did take one bit out, actually, because I did give a rather unnecessary name check to Rupert Murdoch and I thought, ‘Why bother?’” he explained.
Legacy and Continued Impact
Spencer’s eulogy, which challenged racial and societal injustices, struck a chord with attendees and viewers around the country. Fans have since hailed it as “the most phenomenal and eloquent eulogy ever written,” highlighting his ability to capture the spirit of Princess Diana. One fan remarked, “The way that he delivered that eulogy and the words he chose were perfect.”
Spencer wrote two decades later about what he had unleashed. He confessed that by the end of his talk, he was losing his breath. Even years after her passing, his commitment to honoring his sister’s memory by working on these issues is clear.
