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Althorp was built in 1508 by Sir John and has been the family seat of the Spencers for 19 generations. The entire property covers 13,000 acres of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, and Norfolk countryside—a parcel just slightly smaller than the size of Manhattan. Visitors likely know the late Princess of Wales was laid to rest on Althorp's grounds.
How to Visit Princess Diana's Childhood Home - House Beautiful
How to Visit Princess Diana's Childhood Home.
Posted: Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
History
Welcome to Spencer1508, the official channel of the Spencer Family of Althorp. Watch as we share the estate like never before, all while working to preserve and protect it for future generations. "I mean, the great sadness was that when the joy of this birth happened, she wasn't around. But I also found it very sad at William's wedding actually, 'cause obviously she adored her son. And that was a great sadness, a great absence." "But I do remember from the time that towards the end I could barely speak. And so I was having to sort of punch my own base of my stomach with my stomach muscle to force out the last few sentences."
Step into Princess Diana's shoes as her childhood home, Althorp House, becomes available for luxury private rental - Tatler
Step into Princess Diana's shoes as her childhood home, Althorp House, becomes available for luxury private rental.
Posted: Mon, 02 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
History Hit Reveals Winners of Historic Photographer of the Year 2023
Earl Spencer's wife has opened up about the big changes she has made at Althorp House since moving in full time. Countess Karen Spencer, who previously split her time between Northamptonshire and Los Angeles, said she felt "instantly at home" in the house with its 550-acre estate. The Disabled/Blue Badge parking is located inside the grounds and access is through West Gate, parking is free and pre-booking is not required. Diana moved to Althorp House in Northamptonshire in 1976, after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975. Okay, we say this about a lot of estates, but the interiors at Althorp are downright spectacular.
Althorp Visitor Essentials
The post shows various photos of the interiors of Althorp, including the dining room set for a meal with silver candlesticks and flowers, a gallery filled with portraits and a sitting room complete with gilt ceiling and portraits on the walls. The Saloon and Spencer Gallery is arguably one of the most striking features of the house. The grand, central, hallway was once an open courtyard where visitors to the house would arrive and dismount their horses. With miles of quaint rolling countryside, it’s no surprise that Althorp Estate is also a hot spot for wildlife. From Tim the resident peacock to the black fallows and red stags found in its deer park, Althorp is home to a number of rare animal friends. In fact, in 2019, the estate introduced the exhibition, "Animals of Althorp," which takes guests on a tour of Althorp's lesser-known residents.
Impressive Artwork
As a record of a family, and as a record of English portraiture, it is outstanding. The roll-call of names – Rubens, Van Dyck, Reynolds, Gains-borough – will be familiar to everyone. But there are numerous rare and beautiful paintings by lesser-known artists which will appeal to casual visitors and connoisseurs alike.
From the Painters' Passage to the Saloon to the Great Room, this home is teeming with the finest European artwork and architecture. The Spencer family also planted 36 oak trees on the grounds, symbolizing every year of Diana's life, HGTV reported. Diana's possessions belonged to her brother until both Prince William and Prince Harry turned 30. When Harry turned 30 in 2014, the contents of the exhibit were transferred to them at Kensington Palace, Royal Central reported. The home also features a great room, a ballroom, and "Painters' Passage" lined with artists' self portraits and family busts. The home opens to the public every summer, and it is now available as a vacation rental that can sleep 54 guests or as an event venue that can hold up to 500, according to the listing on Elysian Estates.
A regular service is offered from London Euston and Birmingham International. Upon arrival at either station, visitors use a taxi to complete the journey to Althorp House. Althorp is home to two festivals which take place at the start and finish of the house opening period. The Food & Drink Festival in May celebrates the best producers and suppliers in and around Northamptonshire and is full of fun and flavour for all the family. The annual Althorp Literary Festival takes place in October, and it is a unique celebration of the written word with a stellar line up of authors and celebrities. The aim is to promote a thriving rural environment, which makes a positive contribution to the local economy.
The house showcases one of Europe’s finest private collections of furniture, paintings and ceramics, and each room of this magnificent family home has a fascinating story of its own. Today, most visitors to Althorp (pronounced Althrup by some but actually a pretentious affectation these days) come to see Diana's childhood home which can be visited by guided tours, booked in advance. The more than 500-year-old home holds one of Europe’s finest private collections of furniture, paintings, and ceramics. Still a family home, Althorp has 90 rooms - only some of which are open to the public. But the Spencers have also had the knack of going to the right people; its collection of portraits is particularly fine, and justly famous.
Outer buildings
Hundreds of the most beautiful historic houses, castles, and gardens across Britain offer our members free entry. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. He remains adamant that the auction is required simply to fund the upkeep of the house. LONDON (CBS) Princess Diana would have reached the grand age of 49 last week had she survived the fateful 1997 car crash that claimed her life.
Althorp House is located in Northamptonshire following minor roads off the A4500, with the entrance to the free visitor carpark at the West Gate. Northampton train station is 5 miles away, from which a taxi or Stagecoach number 96 can take you to the house, whose nearest bus stop is Althorp, East Lodge. There you are required to use the interactive gate panel, after which the estate minibus will take you directly to the house.
Over the next few centuries, the Spencers amassed an impressive collection of art for their home, including Van Dyck's War and Peace, a John de Critz portrait of King James I and works by Lely. The 2nd Earl Spencer, George John, was a keen bibliophile, and collected over 100,000 books for his library, which became one of the largest in Europe. It was sadly sold off in the 19th century by the 5th Earl Spencer (dubbed 'the Red Earl' for his dramatic auburn beard) due to increasing debts. It has been held by the prominent aristocratic Spencer family for more than 500 years, and has been owned by Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer since 1992. It was also the home of Lady Diana Spencer (later Princess of Wales) from her parents' divorce until her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales (later King Charles III).
The Wootton Hall is another highlight; the grand hall incorporates a series of country scenes by the English artist John Wootton and is laid with Italian marble checkerboard floor from the First World War. The stately home is where Diana, later Princess Diana, grew up and is now owned by her brother Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer. With 90 rooms at the heart of a 550-acre estate, Althorp really is a remarkable house and one of the finest for miles around. Althorp has been home to the Spencer family for nearly 500 years, and contains a fascinating variety of pictures, furniture and ceramics, as well as boasting some fine interiors.
The gallery also features portraits of King Charles I, who ruled from 1625 until his execution in 1649. Princess Diana spent part of her childhood at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, England. Since her death in 1997, the ancestral home of the Spencer family also serves as her final resting place. The current Earl has done much to raise the profile of the house, including launching the successful Althorp Literary Festival, which attracts speakers such as politician Paddy Ashdown, baker Prue Leith and historian Dan Jones.
The family opened the house, including a lake and an island and surrounded by a 550-acre walled park, more than 50 years ago. Long before Diana became the Princess of Wales, visitors could enjoy the fine furnishings and artwork collected by twenty generations of Spencers. Today visitors to Althorp can wander through the grand house and explore the Spencer family’s private apartments, as well as view the fascinating interiors and art collections on display. Inside, the grand hall, was particularly impressively done, and was even dubbed 'the noblest Georgian room in the county' by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner.
Tatler's March 2021 issue cover stars Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia Spencer lived at the house until they were 3-years-old, when the family moved to South Africa. Since then, they have split their time between Cape Town and Althorp, spending their summers at the family seat. The heir to Althorp is their elder brother, Louis, who is the current Viscount Althorp. The late Diana, Princess of Wales grew up at Althorp with her two older sisters, Lady Sarah and Lady Jane Spencer, as well as her younger brother, the current Earl Spencer.
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