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Princess Diana on Royal Tour in Canada in 1983, wearing a white and red hat and looking to one side © Getty

Fans praise 'beautiful' new image of Princess Diana's final resting place at family home

The late royal's brother Earl Spencer is now custodian of the estate

Diane Shipley
Senior Online Writer
April 24, 2024
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Princess Diana's family residence Althorp House is a beautiful estate in Northamptonshire where the late royal moved when she was 14 and her younger brother Charles was 11. 

After her tragic death in 1997, Charles, now Earl Spencer, ensured she was laid to rest on a secluded island on the estate's Oval Lake

On Wednesday, Althorp's Conservation Manager, Adey Greeno, shared a new glimpse of the grounds close to where Diana was buried – and it was quickly branded "beautiful". 

Taking to social media site X, the longtime Althorp House employee posted an image that showed ducks and geese swimming in the spring sunshine. 

He captioned it: "Ducks and geese on the round oval lake @AlthorpHouse. I saw the first goslings today that have hatched off in the park, they were being led down to the lake by both attentive parent birds." 

View post on X

The grounds looked so beautiful

His followers rushed to share their appreciation for the picture, with one writing: "What a beautiful, peaceful place. Thank you for working to make it even better." Others agreed, adding: "What a lovely pic… so tranquil," and: "Diana has the most beautiful resting place." 

The Earl has been dedicatedly restoring the property ever since he took it over, and he and his wife Karen like to share updates from the historic house and grounds. 

Charles Spencer and Karen Spencer at Ascot© Max Mumby/Indigo
Charles with his wife Karen

Last year, the Countess revealed that they had uncovered the footings for an old boat house underneath the mesmerising water. 

The mother-of-three admitted: "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!" 

A young Princess Diana pushing her young brother Charles Spencer on a swing© Getty
Charles is the younger brother of the late Princess

The White Ship author, who has recently released A Very Private School, a poignant memoir detailing his difficult experience at boarding school, took on the role of custodian when he became the 9th Earl Spencer after his father John died in 1992. 

Althorp is set on 13,000 acres in Northamptonshire, 550 of which are the house and gardens. Princess Diana originally wanted to move back to the property after her divorce from King Charles (then Prince Charles) but her brother didn't allow it due to security concerns. 

Charles Spencer at his home, Althorp House© Instagram
The Earl at Althorp House

He explained in an interview years later: "Diana had a lovely dream that she could live a normal life afterward. But the one house that she set her heart on in the park [at the family home of Althorp] was three bedrooms and 100 yards from the road. And it was just not possible. 

"The police knew it wouldn’t work. I offered every other property that was suitable on the estate. I really felt it was the right decision for her. But she probably couldn't see it." 

An aerial view of the burial site of Diana, Princess of Wales on the Round Oval lake © Getty
The lake is home to Princess Diana's final resting place

At the weekend, the father-of-seven shared a glimpse of the estate that showcased some sweet visitors. Sharing a stunning video, he wrote: "A goose fly-past first thing this morning, over @althorphouse - a wonderfully noisy start to the day." 

His followers were quick to share their appreciation for the beauty of the clip, including one who declared the scene "Very tranquil and calm."

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