Piers Morgan’s legal letter to Earl Spencer revealed as defamation row escalates

Piers Morgan has made public the legal correspondence at the centre of his dispute with Earl Spencer, revealing the demands his lawyers have made over claims in the Earl’s memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.

The dispute began after Spencer incorrectly suggested that Morgan was responsible for the publication of intrusive photographs of Princess Diana taken with a hidden camera at a gym. Morgan has since made clear that he intends to continue with legal action despite an apology from the 9th Earl.

UPDATE FROM @piersmorgan: After Earl Spencer’s denial that I am taking legal action against him publishing defamatory lies about me in his book, here is the legal correspondence between me and lawyers for Penguin, publishers of Swan Song. pic.twitter.com/WYmRc4S0i9

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) September 30, 2026

Why Piers Morgan is taking legal action

The row follows the publication of Charles Spencer’s memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which was released on September 22, 2026.

In the book, Spencer wrote about the publication of photographs of Princess Diana taken secretly at a gym and published in the Daily Mirror in 1993. His account incorrectly placed Morgan in a position at the newspaper at the time.

Morgan has strongly disputed the claim. He has pointed out that he was working at The Sun in 1993 and did not join the Daily Mirror until 1995.

Morgan subsequently instructed the law firm Schillings to take action over the claims, arguing that the statements about him were false and damaging.

Spencer later acknowledged the mistake and apologised. In his apology, the 62-year-old Earl said that, as a historian, accuracy was important to him and that he wanted to clarify that his assumption about Morgan’s role at the Daily Mirror had been incorrect.

However, the apology did not bring the dispute to an end.

Morgan has continued with the legal action and has now published correspondence from his lawyers setting out what they are seeking from Spencer.

What Spencer’s memoir said about Morgan

According to the legal letter, Schillings objected to several passages in Swan Song.

The lawyers said the book contained statements they considered false and defamatory and demanded that Spencer take immediate steps to retract them and prevent their continued publication.

One of the central allegations concerned Morgan’s supposed involvement in the publication of the photographs of Diana.

The letter states that the memoir alleged Morgan was editor of the Daily Mirror when the photographs were published and that he carried a particular sense of “guilt” over the incident.

It also challenged the suggestion that Morgan was editor when the newspaper defended the publication through the courts before eventually settling and acknowledging its guilt.

Dispute over newspaper sales

Morgan’s lawyers also challenged another claim contained in the memoir.

Schillings said the book alleged that Morgan’s spokesperson had boasted that sales of both The Sunday Mirror and the Daily Mirror increased by more than 100,000 copies following publication of the intrusive photographs of Diana.

The lawyers rejected those allegations, describing them as false and damaging.

The legal correspondence then set out a series of demands addressed to Spencer and his representatives.

What Morgan’s lawyers are demanding

Schillings called for more than an acknowledgment of the error.

The lawyers demanded that Spencer recall the book and suspend further distribution while the disputed material was addressed.

They also sought a formal retraction and apology to Morgan, with the terms to be agreed between the parties.

Another demand concerned future editions of Swan Song. Morgan’s lawyers requested that the relevant passages be removed from new editions and that corrective slips be inserted into copies of the book that were already in stock.

They also demanded an undertaking that Spencer would not repeat the disputed allegations, or materially similar allegations, in the future.

Finally, the letter called for damages to be paid to the King’s Trust, together with Morgan’s legal costs.

The demands come despite Spencer already having acknowledged the factual error concerning Morgan’s position at the Daily Mirror. Reports at the time said future editions of the memoir would be corrected and reprinted.

Spencer still stands by his account of Diana’s funeral

The disagreement extends beyond the newspaper photographs.

In Swan Song, Spencer also described a conversation with Morgan concerning Princess Diana’s funeral.

According to Spencer’s account, Morgan was “surly and annoyed” when the Earl told him that he was not welcome at his sister’s funeral.

While Spencer apologised for the error about Morgan’s role at the Daily Mirror, he did not withdraw his account of the conversation.

A statement issued on Spencer’s behalf maintained that his description of the call was accurate.

Morgan disputes that account as well.

The former Good Morning Britain presenter has therefore continued to pursue the legal dispute even after receiving Spencer’s apology. He has argued that correcting the factual error does not resolve the wider concerns he has raised about what the memoir says about him.

A dispute that began with one factual error

At the heart of the legal dispute is a straightforward timeline.

The photographs of Diana were published by the Daily Mirror in 1993. Morgan was working at The Sun at that point and did not join the Daily Mirror until 1995.

That distinction became central after Spencer’s memoir attributed responsibility for the publication to Morgan. Morgan challenged the account almost immediately, prompting Spencer to acknowledge that his assumption was wrong.

Spencer’s apology, however, did not end the matter. Morgan’s lawyers have argued that the disputed passages remain sufficiently serious to warrant further action, including demands for corrections, an apology, damages and legal costs.

The legal correspondence now published by Morgan sets out those demands in detail and shows why the disagreement between the broadcaster and Diana’s younger brother has continued despite Spencer’s public acknowledgment of the original mistake.