Charles Spencer recalled an unusual memory involving ex-Prince Andrew in his Princess Diana memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. He described an incident at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene at Sandringham when Andrew was a teenager. The revelation comes as Andrew challenges the legality of police searches connected to his arrest.
Charles Spencer says he and Diana noticed Andrew smirk at a priest’s words during a Sandringham service
According to the Express UK, in his memoir, Spencer recalled attending the Church of St. Mary Magdalene at Sandringham with Diana when Andrew was a teenager. He wrote that he and Diana saw Andrew raise his eyebrows with “theatrical exaggeration” and smirk after a priest referred to “the virgin’s womb.” “He was clearly greatly amused by a reference to that part of a woman’s anatomy in such a solemn setting,” Spencer added.
This is one of the many controversial revelations he made in his memoir, one of which also included a heated conversation between him and King Charles following Princess Diana’s death. Spencer alleged that the monarch told him over the phone call that “We’ll forget her [Diana] soon enough.”
This shocking revelation comes amid Andrew pursuing a judicial review, asking the court whether the police lawfully searched his properties and made his arrest. This review is in relation to warrants used to search his home at Sandringham and his former home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor. By doing so, he has become the first royal to challenge a proceeding.
According to the BBC, Thames Valley Police said in a statement: “We are engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court.” Adding, “As these legal proceedings are currently ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.” Andrew was stripped of his remaining military affiliations and royal patronages in 2022. In 2025, he announced that he would no longer use his titles and honors, including the Duke of York title.