Copies of a highly anticipated memoir by Earl Spencer, titled *Swan Song: Diana, My Sister*, were stolen from a truck in the Netherlands shortly before the book’s scheduled release. The truck, carrying thousands of copies, was parked overnight in a lay-by in the Dutch countryside earlier this week when the break-in occurred. According to sources, only a small number of wrapped copies—around four—were taken.

The book offers a personal and detailed account of Earl Spencer’s relationship with his late sister, Princess Diana, including insights into her troubled marriage to the then Prince of Wales and the turbulent period following her death in a car crash nearly 30 years ago. It also promises to shed light on the royal family’s response to Diana’s passing and aims to challenge narratives Earl Spencer considers untrue.

The memoir, described by insiders as “historic” and “extraordinarily moving,” is slated for worldwide publication next Tuesday. In the UK, it will be released by Penguin Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House, with a planned exclusive serialisation appearing beforehand.

Dutch police are investigating the break-in, though the motives behind the theft remain unclear. Industry experts have speculated that the incident could have been carried out by opportunistic thieves or possibly by well-informed supporters of the Royal Family seeking to prevent or control the book’s contents from being leaked ahead of time. Publishing officials stressed that security around the shipment had been stringent, making the theft “extremely suspicious” and unprecedented for a release of this scale.

The truck had departed a printing plant in Central Europe on Monday, heading to a Dutch warehouse for distribution before the official launch. The driver discovered the break-in early the following morning.

Publishing executives in London were informed of the incident hours later, highlighting the sensitivity and high profile of the title’s release. Historical precedents exist for such thefts; for example, in 2003, more than 7,000 copies of *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* were stolen from a warehouse in the UK prior to publication.

Earl Spencer, 62, previously delivered a notable eulogy at Diana’s funeral broadcast globally to an audience of billions. Ahead of the 30th anniversary of his sister’s death, he has vowed that *Swan Song*, which will be translated into 12 languages, will serve to correct longstanding misconceptions about Princess Diana’s life and legacy. Buckingham Palace is reportedly preparing for the memoir to contain revelations that could reopen discussions about the former Prince and Princess of Wales’s fraught relationship and eventual divorce.