As custodian of Althorp House, Charles Spencer is all too happy to share insights into the property and its history with fans, including portraits of his family members.
On Saturday, he shared a stunning photo of his great-grandmother, Margaret, back in her family home in Dallington House, Northampton. In the sepia-toned photo, Margaret was sat at a desk, although her outfit hinted that she was due at a major event as she could not have been more glammed up. She sat in an elegant gown that fell all the way to the floor, while wearing a hat that wouldn't have looked out of place at Ascot.
Behind her sat several family portraits of her own children, which included Charles' grandfather, Jack, and the Earl revealed that he still had three of the photos in his own home.
Captioning the image, he explained: "My great-grandmother Margaret Spencer (née Baring), at her desk in her sitting room at Dallington House, Northampton, in c. 1900. I still have the portraits of three of her children that hang, here, above her fireplace. (The one to the left is of my grandfather, Jack, in a sailor suit.)"
Fans were quick to react, with many completely enamoured with Margaret's choice of headwear while she was indoors. "Was it the custom then to wear a hat indoors?" one wondered.
A second enthused: "How wonderful! And to think she wore her hat while writing to her morning correspondence. Charming," and a third added: "So sweet, hat and all. What a different, and more gentle, era," while a fourth joked: "I hope you wear such a splendid hat when at your desk writing."
© InstagramDespite being very knowledgeable about his own family history, Charles appeared to be befuddled earlier in the week when he revealed he had stumbled across a portrait of an unknown person in the property.
He penned: "Unnamed face from a Victorian era Spencer family photograph album, at @althorphouse - such a shame we don’t know who this might have been…. #familyphotograph #victorianera #spencerfamily #althorp."
© GettyThe image showed a young girl with a bob haircut and fringe, wearing a frilly outfit and beaded necklace. Her eyes glimpsed upwards, and she had a wary facial expression.
READ: Princess Diana's brother Charles Spencer stuns with unexpected childhood revelation
DISCOVER: Why Princess Diana's childhood home will close in a matter of weeks
The post quickly garnered hundreds of likes as well as an array of comments. "There is definitely a family resemblance in the eyes though," penned one fan, and another remarked: "The eyes of Princess Diana." A third commented: "Looks like an angel dropped from heaven."
