Charles Spencer, 59, and his late sister Princess Diana grew up in a stunning childhood home, Althorp House, where the 9th Earl still lives with his wife Karen.
Located in West Northamptonshire, the stately home boasts 550 acres of land and 90 rooms with beautiful interiors, so it's no surprise that Madonna had her sights set on it as a wedding venue.
© GettyWhen the Material Girl singer, 64, married film director Guy Ritchie, 54, in 2000, she reportedly reached out to Charles to discuss using his property for the celebrations.
Recalling the "surreal" exchange, Charles said on The Rabbit Hole Detectives: "I was cooking at home one day and the phone went and this voice said, 'Hello, it’s Madonna here', and I thought, 'Well, who on earth is this? It’s too ridiculous.'
© Getty"And then I realised it was, and she said she wanted to get married… and use my house for the wedding. We had this rather surreal conversation where I was just thinking, 'This is beyond belief.'"
He continued: "She then didn’t have the wedding with me, but at least we had that moment."
Instead, Madonna and Guy had a lavish celebration thought to cost £1.5 million at Skibo Castle in the Scotland Highlands. The pop star walked down the aisle in a Stella McCartney wedding dress estimated to be worth £170,000, while Gwyneth Paltrow served as maid of honour.
© Getty ImagesThe former couple had met in 1999 through mutual friends Sting and his wife Trudie Styler, and they welcomed their son Rocco shortly before they tied the knot. However, they got divorced in 2008.
Reflecting on their marriage, the filmmaker later said: "I love the kids that came out of it, and I could see no other route to take. But you move on, don't you?"
© GettyAlthorp House is now a wedding venue that is open to the public, and it offers couples the chance to have a civil ceremony in one of the five State Rooms: the Picture Gallery, the State Dining Room, the Great Room, the Saloon or the Marlborough Room.
It is where Charles had his engagement photos with his first wife Victoria Aitken and where he hosted his weddings with Caroline Freud in December 2001 and Karen Spencer in June 2011.
The property not only holds lots of childhood memories for Charles but it also has a special place in his heart as it is where Princess Diana was buried following her death in 1997.
© Max Mumby/IndigoThe initial plan was for Diana to be buried in the family vault at the local church, but with concerns for security and privacy, the BBC reported Charles decided instead to lay her to rest on an island at the centre of the property's oval lake.
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