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Princess Diana's former home left unrecognisable after Earl Spencer's upheaval

Earl Charles Spencer and his wife Karen are currently making big changes at Althorp House

Rachel Avery
Homes Editor
June 14, 2023
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Earl Charles Spencer and his wife Karen reside at Althorp House, which is where Princess Diana spent a few years of her childhood. The couple are currently overhauling the grounds at the property, and they have just shared photographs of the residence looking very different.

The photographs showed the ground churned up by diggers and Karen wrote: "The archaeologists have been digging up the old glass houses since last Wednesday. We've also got a wonderful team of volunteers from the Northamptonshire Gardens Trust helping. There definitely is going to be a lot to learn from what is under there, I just don't know how much will be salvageable."

WATCH: Karen Spencer shares serene video of Princess Diana's gravesite

Recently, Karen revealed they have made an exciting discovery at the lake - uncovering the footings for an old boat house underneath the mesmerising water.

The mother-of-one admitted to her fans: "When I saw it, I wasn’t at all inspired to reinstate it. It looked sort of squat. However… when I saw the beautiful newly discovered picture, I suddenly wanted to put it back!"

Althorp House grounds dug up © Spencer1508
The grounds at Althorp are being dug up

Karen sends a weekly newsletter, Spencer 1508, to Althorp fans, updating them on the exciting developments as they happen. The Lady of the House also enjoys unearthing items from the property's basement and sharing information about them.

Where is Princess Diana buried?

After her tragic death, the former Princess of Wales was laid to rest at Althorp, on an island at the centre of the property's oval lake

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The initial plan was for Diana to be buried in the family vault at the local church, but with concerns for security and privacy, it was changed to Althorp.

The burial site of the late Princess Diana © Getty
The burial site of the late Princess Diana

The gravesite itself is closed off to the public and can only be accessed via boat, however, there is also a tribute temple on site for people to pay their respects when they visit.

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A photo of the temple dedicated to Princess Diana© Instagram
Charles shared a poignant photo of the temple

Althorp is open for a few months in the summer, for fans to tour the gardens and house.

The stately home was previously owned by Princess Diana's father, Earl John Spencer, before Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, took over. With 90 rooms and 550 acres of land it certainly is impressive, and many of the interiors get showcased via Instagram thanks to Charles' updates.

oval lake
Charles loves spending time at the lake

The library has been declared Charles' favourite room in the house. It features wooden floors with three large patterned rugs, cream walls with endless shelves of books, and a selection of red armchairs and sofas. There are also several palatial chandeliers.

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althorp library
The Althorp library is a favourite room for Charles and fans

The Saloon makes a grand hallway for the grand residence. It has a large staircase with wooden bannisters, plus there are chandeliers and paintings in gold frames hanging on the walls. Other highlights include the billiard room, a picture gallery and their decadent dining room.

Did you know that the stately home was even where she first met the then-Prince of Wales, when Charles was introduced by Diana's sister, Sarah Spencer?

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