Charles Spencer took to social media on Wednesday, where he shared photos of the flooding that took place in the grounds of his Northamptonshire estate, Althorp House. He and his late sister, Princess Diana, both grew up at the historic estate and Charles became custodian of the stately home when he became Earl Spencer following the death of his father John in 1992. In a photo shared to his Instagram Stories, the front lawn of the estate was extensively flooded, looking more like a pond than a garden!
In his typically down-to-style, the historian and author captioned the image: "The front lawn at Althorp, looking a little soggy". On X, formerly known as Twitter, he re-shared shots from the house's conservation manager, taken the previous day, which he captioned: "As wet as I’ve ever seen it, at @AlthorpHouse today."
Storm Henk hit Britain on Tuesday, badly affecting the South of England, including blocking roads, bridges and rail lines and felling trees, which caused damage to power lines. A statement from Northamptonshire Police on Wednesday said the area was particularly affected. It read: "Heavy rain brought by the storm has resulted in flood warnings due to high levels on the River Nene and the Northamptonshire Washlands reservoir, where water flow downstream is being controlled by the Environment Agency to minimise risk to life and property.
More images of the water damage to the estate
"The Environment Agency has put strong stream advice in place while water levels remain high, meaning boats should not navigate in the rivers and wild swimmers should avoid the rivers at this time, with water levels and flow expected to remain high over the coming days." Charles and Diana grew up in Northamptonshire after their father, the 8th Earl Spencer, inherited the title and home from his father in 1975, when Charles was 11 and Diana was 14. Their older sisters, Jane and Sarah, were already adults at the time.
Diana was laid to rest in a secluded area of the grounds in 1997 following her tragic death in Paris, as you can see in the video below...
Charles now lives in the historic home with his wife Karen and their daughter, Charlotte Diana, who is 11 years old. Showcasing better weather in the area just a couple of months ago, the 59-year-old shared a change to the estate when he posted a short clip of a brand new family flag on the roof of the main building of the residence.
"New Spencer flag flying above @AlthorpHouse. The old one was getting a bit weather-beaten," the popular podcaster penned. In the video, the flag waved in the autumn wind against a picture-perfect blue sky.
Royal fans flocked to the comments section, where one sweetly wrote: "I remember being on the bus and the guide saying the flag would signify that you were home. And that day you were but perhaps you are always there during the visiting season. I still think about the visit and Diana often." A second added: "Beautiful day for hanging it!!". Meanwhile, a third commented: "Stunning in the sunlight and clear blue skies."
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