Piers Morgan Says Earl Spencer's Apology Won't Stop Lawsuit

Caption: Piers Morgan at SXSW London in 2026. Credit: via Wikimedia Commons.

Earl Spencer publicly apologized to Piers Morgan over an incorrect claim in his new book about Princess Diana, but the apology did not end the dispute. Morgan told ITV News that he still intends to pursue legal action against Spencer and the book’s publisher.

The fight centers on a claim about intrusive gym photographs of Diana published in the early 1990s. Spencer acknowledged that he had incorrectly assumed Morgan was responsible for the decision to publish the images, even though Morgan was not working at the Daily Mirror at the time.

The apology fixed one factual claim

The Guardian reported that Spencer issued an apology after Morgan challenged the account in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. Spencer said historical accuracy mattered and acknowledged the mistake.

That would normally look like a clean ending to a book controversy: a disputed claim is identified, the author retracts it and an apology follows. Morgan, however, said the correction raised broader questions about the reliability of the book and that he planned to continue with legal action.

Morgan says the legal threat remains

In an interview with ITV News, Morgan said he intended to take action over what he described as defamatory claims and indicated that he would also target the publisher. Whether a claim ultimately succeeds would depend on the legal arguments and evidence, and no court has ruled that Spencer defamed Morgan.

That distinction matters because the current news is not a verdict. It is the unusual sequence: allegation, public challenge, apology, then a decision by the person who received the apology to continue toward court anyway.

Diana keeps the dispute in a much larger spotlight

The book is about one of the most scrutinized families in modern British public life, and other claims in it have also drawn responses from Buckingham Palace. That gives the Morgan dispute a wider audience than a typical publishing correction.

The next question is whether Morgan follows through with a formal claim and what, if anything, a court is asked to decide. For now, the apology has settled the factual point Spencer conceded, but not the conflict around it.

References: Piers Morgan tells ITV News he is still taking legal action against Earl Spencer despite apology | Earl Spencer apologises to Piers Morgan over ‘incorrect assumption’