Princess Diana's Funeral Wish Rejected by Palace, Earl Spencer Claims

Buckingham Palace rejected Princess Diana’s request for Mozart’s Requiem for her Church of England funeral, according to claims by her brother, Earl Spencer. Spencer says Diana had long wanted the piece played after her death, and that the family passed the request to royal officials during funeral preparations in September 1997. He claims officials refused, citing that requiem music could not be performed at such a service, but Spencer later said the explanation was incorrect and describes it as one of several “untruths” in his memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. The dispute is separate from other alleged tensions, including Spencer’s opposition to Princes William and Harry walking behind the coffin in London. Buckingham Palace has responded to some of the broader claims in Spencer’s book.