Princess Diana's Childhood Home Burned: You Could Have Stayed There! All About The Estate, Its Owners
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The 13,000-acre ancestral property, situated between the villages of Great Brington and Harlestone, northwest of Northampton, now belongs to Charles Spencer.
Princess Diana remains one of the most cherished members of the British royal family. Even decades after her tragic death in a car accident in August 1997, everything associated with the late princess continues to hold deep emotional value for her admirers. Recently, Althorp House, Diana's childhood home and final resting place, made headlines for an unfortunate reason. A section of the historic estate was reportedly damaged in an arson attack.
On Wednesday, May 28, Charles Spencer, Diana's brother and the 9th Earl Spencer, took to X to reveal this tragic incident. He said, 'Stunned to learn that one of @AlthorpHouse's farmhouses – fortunately, unoccupied at the time – was apparently burnt down by vandals last night. With thanks to @northantsfire for doing their very best. So very sad that anyone would think this a fun thing to do."
Stunned to learn that one of @AlthorpHouse 's farmhouses – fortunately, unoccupied at the time – was apparently burnt down by vandals last night. With thanks to @northantsfire for doing their very best. So very sad that anyone would think this a fun thing to do. pic.twitter.com/lYyvkzJLnA — Charles Spencer (@cspencer1508) May 28, 2025
The 18th-century farmhouse, called the Dallington Grange, was completely destroyed by the fire. It had been empty for years and was set for redevelopment. The Althorp House, in a statement, shared that illegal trespassing and vandalism have been a problem at the site for a long time. Police are now investigating the incident.
The Althorp House is more than just another grand mansion, it is a key part of royal history. The 13,000-acre ancestral property, situated between the villages of Great Brington and Harlestone, northwest of Northampton, belongs to Charles Spencer. He has been living on the estate since 1992 with Countess Spencer. The country estate has been with the family for five centuries since 1508.
Princess Diana, the daughter of Viscount and Viscountess of Althorp, John Spencer and Frances Spencer, lived in the house after her parents divorced in 1969. She resided with her siblings in the country estate and continued to call it her home till she married the Prince of Wales, Charles (Now King Charles III), in 1981. The two had even met in the '70s in the same house. After her tragic death in 1997, she was laid to rest on a small private island on the estate known as The Oval.
Today, Althorp House remains in the hands of the Spencer family, and it opens to the public every summer. If you don't know already, then let us tell you that one can actually rent the grand estate for vacations or events.
Listed on the luxury rental site Elysian Estates, Althorp is described as offering 'unparalleled levels of service, privacy and luxury to rival the finest properties anywhere in the world, yet retains the truly welcoming and homely feel that makes Althorp so special." The Althorp House features over 26 bedrooms, in-house catering, a 250-person reception area and a 500-person marquee. It also houses invaluable artworks of great artists such as Anthony van Dyck, Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds and has a large private collection of furniture and ceramics. There is a library in the house, which has over 10,000 books dating from the late 19th century.
Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev and Winston Churchill are among the renowned people who have once stayed at Althorp House. Except for Princess Diana's burial ground, the estate is open to the public.
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