Latest news with #MaidwellHall
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Complaint made about shutting prominent prep school
A parent group has lodged a formal complaint with the Charity Commission over the management of a prominent preparatory school that has since closed. The complaint against the Uppingham School Group, which ran Maidwell Hall in Northamptonshire, alleged failings including financial mismanagement, governance breaches, charity law violations and the false solicitation of fees. It centred on the decision leading up to and including the shutting of Maidwell Hall. Uppingham School Group said it would be "robustly refuting the claims made in the complaint" if the Charity Commission investigated. The Charity Commission said it was "assessing concerns raised" to "determine any next steps". Maidwell Hall was founded in 1911 and was one of the country's best-known prep schools. Previous pupils include former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, writer and restaurant critic William Sitwell and Earl Spencer. The parent group claimed the decision to close the school was made in mid-2024, but parents were not informed until January 2025, despite the school enrolling new pupils during that period. It also questioned why a parents' rescue bid backed by the David Ross Educational Trust was rejected. A spokesperson for a Maidwell parents' group said: "During the last seven months, it has become evident that there is a case to answer regarding the financial mismanagement, governance failures and breaches of charity law by Uppingham. "We believe it is only right and proper that this is thoroughly investigated by the commission." 'Significantly loss making' A statement from the Uppingham School Group refuted the claims made by the parent group. It said a decision to close Maidwell School was made on 30 November 2024 at a Trustee meeting, which was then shared in January following a consultation period. The group said the proposed rescue bid had "significant gaps" and underestimated the school's expenditure, among other issues. Uppingham said that although it had increased pupil numbers and invested in the school, it "remained significantly loss-making", and then faced further financial pressures following the introduction of VAT on private school fees and the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions. The statement added that Maidwell Hall would have "faced almost certain insolvency" in 2022 had Uppingham not rescued it and repaid a "six-figure bank loan". A Charity Commission spokesperson said: "We are assessing concerns raised with us about Uppingham School to determine any next steps. In line with our guidance, Uppingham School promptly reported the closure of Maidwell School to us." Northamptonshire Police confirmed a separate police investigation into Earl Spencer's allegations of physical and sexual abuse at the school in the 1970s was ongoing. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Earl Spencer's school to close amid abuse inquiry Related internet links Charity Commission
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Complaint lodged against Uppingham over Maidwell Hall closure
A parent group has lodged a formal complaint with the Charity Commission over the management of a prominent preparatory school that has since complaint against the Uppingham School Group, which ran Maidwell Hall in Northamptonshire, alleged failings including financial mismanagement, governance breaches, charity law violations and the false solicitation of fees. It centred on the decision leading up to and including the shutting of Maidwell School Group said it would be "robustly refuting the claims made in the complaint" if the Charity Commission investigated. The Charity Commission said it was "assessing concerns raised" to "determine any next steps". Maidwell Hall was founded in 1911 and was one of the country's best-known prep pupils include former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, writer and restaurant critic William Sitwell and Earl Spencer. The parent group claimed the decision to close the school was made in mid-2024, but parents were not informed until January 2025, despite the school enrolling new pupils during that also questioned why a parents' rescue bid backed by the David Ross Educational Trust was rejected.A spokesperson for a Maidwell parents' group said: "During the last seven months, it has become evident that there is a case to answer regarding the financial mismanagement, governance failures and breaches of charity law by Uppingham. "We believe it is only right and proper that this is thoroughly investigated by the commission." 'Significantly loss making' A statement from the Uppingham School Group refuted the claims made by the parent said a decision to close Maidwell School was made on 30 November 2024 at a Trustee meeting, which was then shared in January following a consultation group said the proposed rescue bid had "significant gaps" and underestimated the school's expenditure, among other said that although it had increased pupil numbers and invested in the school, it "remained significantly loss-making", and then faced further financial pressures following the introduction of VAT on private school fees and the increase in employers' National Insurance statement added that Maidwell Hall would have "faced almost certain insolvency" in 2022 had Uppingham not rescued it and repaid a "six-figure bank loan".A Charity Commission spokesperson said: "We are assessing concerns raised with us about Uppingham School to determine any next steps. In line with our guidance, Uppingham School promptly reported the closure of Maidwell School to us." Northamptonshire Police confirmed a separate police investigation into Earl Spencer's allegations of physical and sexual abuse at the school in the 1970s was ongoing. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer 'frustrated at pace of probe into claims he was abused at boarding school in the 1970s'
Princess Diana 's brother is understood to be frustrated at how long police are taking to investigate claims he was sexually abused at boarding school. Grandmother Sally Jane Carr was arrested almost exactly a year ago after a Mail on Sunday probe identified her as the matron Earl Spencer alleges he and other boys were molested by in the 1970s. Ms Carr, 68, was last weekend seen walking her dog near her terraced home in the Midlands. In his memoir, A Very Private School, Earl Spencer, 61, told how a matron groomed him and other boys at Maidwell Hall preparatory school in Northamptonshire. Police announced they had opened an investigation on June 10 last year and the MoS understands Ms Carr was arrested the next day. She was released on conditional bail. In January, Northamptonshire Police confirmed its probe had widened, with another ex-pupil claiming to have been abused. The MoS understands Earl Spencer met detectives this year to give a statement about his allegations. But one ex-pupil at the school said the Earl has grown frustrated at the pace of their probe and is concerned they are 'dragging their feet'. In his memoir, the Earl, who attended the school near Market Harborough from the age of eight to 13, said the matron, whom he did not name, had 'first kissed me on the lips' before she 'promoted me to the second rank of her reverse harem: those she intimately touched' Northamptonshire Police said: 'Investigations of this nature are complex and often take this amount of time due to the large amount of information that needs to be collated and processed.' In his memoir, the Earl, who attended the school near Market Harborough from the age of eight to 13, said the matron, whom he did not name, had 'first kissed me on the lips' before she 'promoted me to the second rank of her reverse harem: those she intimately touched'. He wrote that he had established the matron married at least twice but he was unable to find her, suspecting she had moved abroad or was dead. The MoS was able to establish the woman was Ms Carr and that she became a nurse looking after patients with severe mental illness.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The striking similarities between Prince George and his grandmother Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, revealed
It's no secret that the Spencer gene pool is very strong. The late Princess Diana passed many of these traits to her two children, Prince Harry and Prince William. Harry once joked that he thought Meghan Markle would cancel out his ginger gene when they had children. But the Sussexes' two children, Archie and Lilibet, both have striking red hair. While Diana herself was not a redhead, her brother, Charles Spencer, had ginger hair in his youth. In comparison, Prince William 's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are thought to exhibit more traits from their great-grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, and their mother, Kate Middleton. But over recent years people have began to notice similarities between George, heir to the throne, and his great-uncle, Earl Spencer. As Diana's baby brother celebrates his 61st birthday today, we take a look at the traits he shares with his 11-year-old great nephew. The similarity between the two relatives was particularly pronounced during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Prince George, who was eight years old at the time, was lauded for his cheeky smile and facial expressions which mirrored his great-uncle. In public the young royal can sometimes come across as a serious little boy, who has already developed a clear wariness of the cameras that are part and parcel of his royal life. But friends of the family say that while he is definitely more cautious and sensitive in nature than his younger sister Charlotte, the little prince is actually a bundle of fun. Fans flooded social media with their thoughts, with one posting: 'Definitely a Spencer, just like his papa.' Another added: 'George is Spencer, Charlotte is Windsor and Louis is kind.' Another commented: 'Since he was very little, the resemblance was remarkable.' Unlike the young prince the Earl did not grow up with a royal title but he does hold a peerage title, which is a hereditary title in the British nobility system. One royal observer said of George: 'Since he was very little, the resemblance was remarkable' Unlike the young prince the Earl did not grow up with a royal title but he does hold a peerage title, which is a hereditary title in the British nobility system Charles Spencer was one of four children born to John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, and Frances Shand Kydd. Despite having a childhoods marked by incredible wealth, his upbringing was troubled. The family lived at Althorp, the ancestral home of the Spencers, and was just three years old when his parents divorced. He attended Maidwell Hall, where he later alleged he was sexually abused by a female staff member, beginning when he was 11 years old. Royal observers have also commented on how George is the 'spitting image' of the Earl's father. Last October the Earl posted two sepia pictures from between 1940 and 1941 of his grandfather and father outside Althorp in military uniform. In his caption he wrote: 'My grandfather had fought as a cavalry officer and had been wounded, in the First World War. 'He had an honorary army rank at the time of this portrait with his dog. That's my grandmother in the distance. Royal observers have also commented on how George is the 'spitting image' of the Earl's father 'My father was in the Corps at Eton College - he became an officer cadet there, before serving with the Royal Scots Greys in Normandy.' One commenter wrote: 'Prince George is the spitting image of your father,' while a second penned: 'I see his father in William also.' A third wrote: 'I see you and Diana in your father's face! Wonderful photos, thanks, for sharing,' and a fourth chimed in: 'Such lovely photos of your father & grandfather! You resemble your father so much!' Throughout their lives Earl Spencer and Diana were very close as siblings, especially after their parents' divorce. Even after Diana's marriage and life as a princess, they maintained a close and loving relationship. The Earl felt a strong need to protect her, even intervening when a journalist wrote a negative article about her. Following Diana's tragic death, the Earl delivered a powerful eulogy at her funeral, expressing his love and commitment to carry on her legacy. Previously royal followers pointed out that William had the 'Spencer stare', referring to when he stares intently with lowered eyebrows, usually with a dignified facial expression. George's younger sister, Charlotte, has been likened to her late grandmother Diana One of the most famous pictures of the future king sporting the stare dates back to when the then-15-year-old was attending his mother's funeral in September 1997. Seen alongside his uncle, Earl Spencer, the teenager stared into the distance during the tragic event. Many have commented on the mother-son likeness, with one noting that the similar looks have spread further: one supporter of the Royal Family noted on a TikTok that 'William, Charlotte and Diana all have the same eye shape, William even has Diana's eye colour too '. George's younger sister, Charlotte, has been likened to her late grandmother Diana. When attending the May 2023 coronation, Charlotte, aged nine at the time, donned a strikingly similar flower crown tiara to Catherine, the Princess of Wales, looking like a mini-me of her mother as well as sharing some of William's traits. The young princess wore a dress and cape made from ivory silk crepe with ivory stitch embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs, to signify the four nations. With the world's eyes on her, Charlotte stood proud and tall, and played the doting big sister by guiding her brothers into Westminster Abbey. Snaps of Charlotte show her staring into the distance with her large green eyes. As she took it all in, many saw glimpses of Diana in her. One fan wrote: 'She looks so much like Diana.' Another said: 'That's fantastic that Princess Charlotte is following her late grandmother Diana!' As the Earl celebrates his birthday today, he will be reminded of times he celebrated with big sister as a child. He recently said: 'I don't share my childhood with anyone anymore. That's a great loss that you can never really put right. 'You grow up with these people, they are your flesh and blood, they're with you forever – and then they're gone.' He continues to be a strong defender of her memory and causes. As William and Harry's children exhibit, traits of those we have lost can live on in the younger generation. For Harry and William, their children serve as a reminder of their beloved mother.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Princess Diana's brother shares heartbreaking grief, says her death felt like 'an amputation'
Earl Charles Spencer lost a part of himself when his sister, Princess Diana, was killed nearly three decades ago. On May 15, he appeared on "Loose Men" in honor of Mental Health Awareness Week, where he discussed sibling grief. "It's such an amputation," said the 60-year-old. "You grow up with these people, they are your flesh and blood, they're with you forever, and then they're gone." Princess Diana's Brother, Charles Spencer, Reveals Devastating Family Secret "It's a really extraordinary thing," the historian reflected. Diana died in 1997 from injuries she sustained in a car crash in Paris. She was 36. At the time, the mother of two was being chased by paparazzi. Read On The Fox News App Spencer noted that grief never goes away. "For years after Diana died, I would think, 'I must ring her and tell her something,' because we shared the same sense of humor," he recalled. "And you just realize, of course, that's not going to happen." The author described how his big sister played a key role in his childhood. "As your family naturally folds in on itself — you lose your parents — I have two older sisters who I adore," Spencer explained. "They're quite a lot older than me, so I don't share my childhood with anyone anymore. And that's a great loss you can never really put right." Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter The world, along with Spencer, watched Diana grow from a shy teenage nursery schoolteacher into a glamorous celebrity who comforted AIDS patients. She instantly became a household name when she married the future King Charles III in 1981, when she was 20 years old. They welcomed two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, before the couple announced their separation in 1992. Their divorce was finalized in 1996. Spencer said that even as a teenager, he felt an urgency to protect his sister from "the photographers who were plaguing her." "I remember just before she died, a female journalist wrote a really horrendous article, because by that stage I don't think that journalist was thinking of Diana as a person," said Spencer. "She was something to make money out of or whatever." "I wrote her an outraged letter and had a bit of to and fro with her," he said. "I think, particularly as a brother of a sister, you always want to get stuck in, really." It was during Diana's funeral that Spencer denounced the ruthless U.K. press that hounded his beloved sibling in her lifetime. Spencer was 42 years old when he first revealed to a therapist he had been sexually abused as a child. At the time, he had "hit rock bottom." Seventeen years later, he detailed the trauma he endured in a memoir, "A Very Private School." Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News He never told Diana about his experience at Maidwell Hall, an elite English boarding school. But as he struggled with loneliness away from his family, he often thought of his sister. "She was the closest person to me growing up," he told Fox News Digital in 2024. "We had two much older sisters and a baby brother who had died. Then there was Diana and me. We were very close. And, actually, that was one of the devastations of being sent away. She was sent a year ahead of me, but for the first few years of my life, we went everywhere together." WATCH: PRINCESS DIANA'S HAIRDRESSER RECALLS THEIR LASTING FRIENDSHIP "We did everything together," he shared. "We went to a very gentle primary school together, a day school, [before boarding school]. She was an absolutely lovely older sister to a little boy whose parents were divorced and had quite a traditional English upbringing. We were allies." At the time, a spokesperson for Maidwell Hall didn't immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. It previously told "Today" that it has notified authorities who investigate crimes against children. School officials are also encouraging any past students with similar experiences to come forward. Today, Spencer hopes the school will now deal with its past "in an honest way." "I would tell [my younger self] it wasn't his fault," Spencer said. "As a child, you're always thinking it's your fault. I used to think I must have failed as a son to be sent away to such a place and not be part of the family. … But I would tell him, 'You're fine. You've come out on the other side.'"Original article source: Princess Diana's brother shares heartbreaking grief, says her death felt like 'an amputation'
