Earl Spencer plans to turn Princess Diana’s Northampshire mansion into an exclusive hotel, catering to corporate functions and holiday retreats. The 37-year-old Earl occupies just five rooms of the Althorp home, set on an expansive 300 acres, and aims to raise tens of thousands of pounds towards the upkeep of the abode by renting rooms for £6,000 a day.
Plans to adapt the home, which has been in the Spencer family for 500 years, are already underway with architects submitting proposals. “Not all the bedrooms have en suite bathrooms which people expect nowadays,” says Earl Spencer. “When we moved in when I was 11, it did not have a single bathroom.”
Earl Spencer hopes to provide the amenities corporate clients have come to expect, including tennis courts and riding. However, he is quick to defend himself from the inevitable criticisms of cashing in on his late sister’s name, saying the family had previously rented out the home during Diana’s lifetime, albeit less frequently and never to overnight guests.
“It was something we used to do very occasionally before the death of the Princess,” says Diana’s brother. “But we stopped doing it in case people thought we were taking advantage. Obviously, we do have strong concerns about how it might be perceived. We worry about attracting criticism that we would be charging for guests to come and sit at Diana’s table.”The mansion boasts a dining room with seating for 54 and priceless works of art, as well as drawing rooms and a billiard hall. Sixteen rooms will open for a public tour on July 1, running through September.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
