Earl Spencer recounts Prince Philip corgi ear surgery tale from Diana in new memoir
Source: GBNews · All GBNews reports
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Summary
The GB News segment discusses an anecdote from Charles Spencer’s newly released memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. It focuses on a story Diana allegedly told her brother about Prince Philip intervening to stop plans for then-young Prince Charles to have his protruding ears surgically pinned back after bullying at Gordonstoun school. According to the tale, Philip not only halted the procedure but had one of Queen Elizabeth’s corgis undergo ear surgery as a pointed reminder that the idea was vain and soft. The clip highlights this as a 'crazy' and 'disturbing' insight into royal family dynamics.
The sourcing is second-hand: Spencer attributes the story to what his sister Diana believed but states he has no idea if it is true. The broadcast draws from extracts serialized in the Daily Mail ahead of the book’s September 22, 2026 publication. No other named experts or corroborating sources appear; the segment treats the anecdote as colorful royal lore without independent verification.
Editorial Assessment
The claims in the broadcast accurately paraphrase the extract from Earl Spencer’s book, including Charles’s documented bullying at Gordonstoun for his ears. However, viewers miss the critical qualifier that Spencer himself expresses doubt about the story’s veracity and presents it only as something Diana believed decades ago. This omission risks portraying an unsubstantiated family anecdote as established fact, skewing perception toward viewing Prince Philip as cruel toward animals and the Queen as overly vain. The sensational framing ('drops CRAZY Story') amplifies tabloid appeal over historical rigor, a pattern in royal coverage that prioritizes shock value. Attentive viewers should note the story’s unverifiable nature and the absence of any contemporary records or photos of altered corgis, whose upright ears remained a breed hallmark throughout the Queen’s life. Overall, the segment is more entertainment than serious journalism.
Key Moments
Prince Philip learned Queen Elizabeth was considering pinning back young Prince Charles’s ears due to bullying at Gordonstoun
Charles’s prominent ears and school bullying are well-documented in multiple biographies and classmate accounts, but any specific discussion of surgery is only in Spencer’s memoir via Diana.
Prince Philip stopped the ear-pinning procedure and had one of the Queen’s corgis’ ears operated on as a lasting reminder against vanity
Directly from an extract in Spencer’s Swan Song; Spencer states he has no idea if these 'disturbing tales were true' and that Diana believed them. No independent evidence or photos of any altered corgi exist.
This act was to punish or serve as a reminder that the plan was ridiculous for its softness and vanity
Anecdotal only, relayed decades later through Diana to Spencer; no corroboration from royal staff, veterinarians, or other family members.
Notable Concerns
- Failure to include Earl Spencer’s explicit disclaimer that he does not know if the tale is true
- Sensational presentation of an uncorroborated second-hand anecdote as a major revelation
- Missing context on the broader book, which has drawn Palace criticism for other claims about King Charles
Sources Consulted
- 'Disturbing' account of Prince Philip's operation on late Queen Elizabeth's Corgi
- What we found in Earl Spencer's controversial Diana memoir
- Earl Spencer Book Blasts Diana’s Treatment by UK Royal Family
- The Lonely Heir: Inside the Isolating Boarding School Days of Prince Charles
- King Charles was 'mercilessly bullied at school' by peers who 'pulled his ears'