Earl Charles Spencer inherited his family home, Althorp House, in 1992, when he was 27 years old. The residence where he grew up with his sisters, including Princess Diana, gets opened to the public for a few months each year, but recently one fan raised a safety concern about the grounds.
Charles' wife Karen, who also lives at the property, swiftly responded to the worried Instagram user in order to reassure them and future visitors.
The comment came after Karen shared a series of photographs of the oak trees in the sprawling grounds. She captioned the post: "The remains of oak trees in the Park here at Althorp. The ones that have died long ago and the ones that are on their way out. They are nature’s sculptures. So beautiful,"
"Dead trees bring bad luck to a domain, better cut them, or possible it falls one day," warned one follower, and to that Karen replied: "We keep an eye on them to make sure they are not a danger, but we intentionally leave them as they are because they are an important habitat for all sorts of creatures!"
"Do you replant new trees to replace the old ones?" enquired another user and Karen revealed that they do. "Goodness yes, every year," she added.
The stunning images even encouraged some Althorp fans to remember to revisit. "Beautiful, I've visited Althorp once before but you make everything sound interesting can't wait to come back," one fan wrote.
© InstagramThe estate is now closed, it will reopen in the summer of 2024 and the message on the website reads: "Althorp House is now closed for the season. We look forward to welcoming you in the summer of 2024."
For those who can't wait that long, Charles and Karen often share updates via their retrospective Instagram feeds.
© GettyRecently, the Earl revealed that prior to moving into the grand Grade II listed home, he lived in another property on site, The Falconry.
He shared a breathtaking snap of the property, writing: "The Falconry, in the rear of the Park at @althorphouse - built in 1613, for one week’s entertainment during a royal visit. It was, effectively, somewhere for people to watch falconry displays taking place in the surrounding countryside. This was my home here till I took over looking after Althorp, in 1992. Such a beautiful spot. #falconry #hawking #englishcountryside #northamptonshire #17thcentury #1613 #jamesi"
LOOK: Charles Spencer shares rarely-seen area of Princess Diana's former home
Many of Charles' fans didn't know this fact about where he used to live and one commented: "I would love to see what it looks like inside. I didn’t realise you lived there." Someone else expressed an interest in seeing inside too, adding: "Are there interior photos available?"
