Charles Spencer opens up Althorp House on Princess Diana's 60th birthday

Jul 01, 2021 by apost team

Charles Spencer has opened up Althorp House in honor of Princess Diana’s 60th birthday. A statue in Diana’s honor was unveiled on July 1, 2021, that brought many royal family members together once again, including brothers Prince William and Prince Harry to celebrate what would have been their mother’s 60th birthday. While this time of year brings up many emotions for the family as they have all had to grieve the tragic loss of Diana from almost 24 years ago, it has also been a time to remember all the wonderfulness that surrounded the late princess.

Earl Spencer, Diana’s younger brother, lives at Althorp House, a place filled with an incredible amount of rich British history. The two siblings grew up there together. It is also the location of a memorial for the Princess of Wales, with a stable block that was converted into an exhibit for her and was previously opened to the public from 1998 until 2013. While the estate is typically open to the public, it had to remain closed for the past year due to health and safety guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.

With so many people being able to reconnect with one another over the past year virtually, and now in-person once again, it seemed like the perfect time to grant access to the general public to come visit the famous estate. Many members of the royal family have also been able to reconnect, making the occasion even more special. In honor and celebration of Diana, Charles has officially opened up Althorp House.

The Daily Mail reported in May 2021 that Charles had been preparing for the reopening of his family’s ancestral home with a revamp. Several other family homes associated with the National Trust are also set to reopen during the summer. During his preparations, Charles shared pictures showcasing just what exactly was in the works for the property, including one picture of a boxed-up item and works of art that was shared on Althorp House’s official Twitter account.

The Spencer family has had ownership of the estate since 1508, and is usually open to the general public, but had to remain closed for the past year due to the pandemic, according to the Daily Mail. With a brighter future ahead and more guidelines being changed, Earl Spencer has made the decision to reopen the estate and has welcomed visitors once again.

Although the estate has had some touch-ups over the years, it had been a while since it received such a revamp. Following Diana’s death, garden designer Dan Pearson was commissioned to update the park and gardens at Althorp House to create a beautiful experience for visitors who chose to come to see the princess memorial. Symbolizing Diana’s life, a total of 36 oak trees were planted along the road along with thousands of other plants and flowers.

Designed by Rasshied Ali Din, the estate stable block was converted into a public exhibition to memorialize Diana. It remained open from 1998 until 2013. Din created six rooms, each filled with plenty of amazing memories of Diana. 

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One of the rooms showcased videos of Diana as a child and another room documented her wedding to the Prince of Wales. The exhibition featured the stunning looks that Diana had worn at different points in her life, emulating her impeccable sense of style.

Althorp House is full of history and memories, especially with a grand staircase accentuated with portraits on the wall near it. The top of the split staircase is home to five family portraits including a painting of Diana, her father John Spencer, her grandfather Albert Spencer, and her brother, according to the Daily Mail. Another picture showcased Charles’ current wife Karen Spencer donned out in the outfit she wore to Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.

The current Earl Spencer had nothing but kind words to say about his wife and his late sister, as he referred to them both as “very beautiful ladies,” as per the Daily Mail. He also said that a 2019 portrait of his wife painted by Fabian Perez truly captured Diana’s “beauty, poise and strength.” The beautiful couple got married at the estate in Northamptonshire in 2011. Charles was previously married to Caroline Freud from 2001 until 2007, and Victoria Lockwood from 1989 until 1997. Earl Spencer currently has seven children from his previous marriages and one from his current, bringing the grand total to eight children.

With Althorp House being open once again, the public is once again welcome to come to visit the estate and the memorial for Diana, where they can pay their respects and showcase their affection and honor for the late princess.

What do you think about Charles Spencer’s decision to open up Althorp House? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to any royal fans you know.