Charles Spencer resides at Althorp© Getty

Charles Spencer shares incredible photo of beautiful room inside Althorp House

The ninth Earl Spencer lives at the property with his estranged wife, Countess Karen Spencer…

July 25, 2024

Charles Spencer's family home, Althorp House, dates back to the 15th century.

On Tuesday, the ninth Earl Spencer shared an incredible photo of his spectacular library taken in 1892, 132 years ago. The black-and-white photo showed the room decked out in a similar fashion, covered in cozy chairs and floor-to-ceiling bookcases.

Captioning the post, Charles wrote: "Wonderful shot of Althorp’s Library. 132 years ago."

"Magnificent room! Amazing what design and architecture existed prior to modern technology," one fan commented. A second added: "Thank you for all of your hard work to preserve such beautiful places and their history!"

Meanwhile, a third asked: "Curious if any of the books are still in place."

Althorp has such a rich history, much of which is yet to be discovered. Charles and his estranged wife, Countess Karen Spencer, have both previously shared their findings with fans on social media.

Karen also sends a weekly newsletter covering all things Althorp, and since news of their divorce last month, one of the first questions fans had was what would happen to Karen's brilliant work at the stately home.

© Instagram

Charles and Karen's divorce was announced last month

Charles and Karen have been married for 13 years and share one daughter, Lady Charlotte, 12. The Earl first shared news of their split with the Mail on Sunday.

"It is immensely sad," he told the publication. Adding: "I just want to devote myself to all my children and grandchildren, and I wish Karen every happiness in the future."

Shortly after the news, Karen shared a message on social media to thank everyone for their support.

It read: "Just wanted to say that I have been overwhelmed by the messages of love and support. Thank you, it has really meant a lot to me. I’m just processing at the moment.

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"I will come back to you soon. [Red heart emoji]. Thought I'd share a few pics from last night's summer solstice gathering."

It is thought that Charles and Karen's marriage broke down in recent years amid the strain of the Earl's memoir, A Very Private School, in which he detailed physical and sexual abuse while at boarding school.

In addition to Lady Charlotte, Charles has Lady Kitty Spencer, twins Eliza and Amelia Spencer, and Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, with his first wife Victoria Aitkin.

He is also the father of Edmund and Lara, whom he shares with his second wife Caroline Freud.

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