Charles Spencer in a black suit© James Veysey/Shutterstock

Charles Spencer shares never-before-seen family portrait - and fans all say the same thing

Earl Charles Spencer is the younger brother of the late Princess Diana

Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
August 12, 2023

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.

WATCH: Charles Spencer's wife Karen unearths personal journals at Princess Diana's former home

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."

Karen Spencer laughing in an armchair next to Charles Spencer© Instagram
Charles and wife Karen live in Althorp

Despite 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."

© Getty
Charles and Diana both lived at Althorp as children

The 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.

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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."

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