Earl Spencer's estranged wife, Countess Karen, will shortly be moving out of Althorp House, but there is one beautiful detail of the historic home she will be able to keep.
Taking to her Instagram account, the philanthropist, 52, shared a photo of a stunning vase of flowers from the drying garden, which Karen said her artist friend will be turning into a painting. The beautiful pink bouquet is currently in an opulent marble vase in the South Drawing Room of Althorp House.
Captioning a photo of the flowers, Karen wrote: "My friend @markkarasick is the most wonderful artist. We met in Canada thirty years ago, but he now lives here in the UK too. I’m lucky enough to own a number of his paintings. He came to stay a few weeks ago and took some pictures of the dahlias from the drying garden that he’s now going to turn into a painting.
"Here they are in one of the beautiful vases I bought at auction on the mantel in my study, the South Drawing Room."
© David GoddardKaren has been overhauling and excavating the historic property since moving in, and it's safe to say her presence will be missed by fans who love seeing updates from the grand home.
One fan commented: "Oh Karen, that will make a wonderful painting for your new house." A second added: "Yes, Althorp will miss your zest for life. You appreciate the small things. Good luck."
Meanwhile, a third penned: "It must be so hard for you to be leaving Althorp after everything you have done—all your research and renovations. Althorp will miss you too."
It's clear that the devoted mother is making the most of her final weeks at the property, and earlier this month, she hosted a "final" lunch there.
Karen wrote a lengthy statement about hosting a lunch with philanthropic leaders and investors, confessing that, for all its positives, it was a "bittersweet" moment as it was "one of the final events" she would host at Althorp. See the full caption here.
Charles, the brother of the late Princess Diana, first announced their divorce back in June, telling the Mail on Sunday: "It is immensely sad. I just want to devote myself to all my children and grandchildren, and I wish Karen every happiness in the future."
The former couple were married for 13 years and share a 12-year-old daughter, Lady Charlotte.
