Earl Spencer shares surprising Althorp secret hidden in 150-year-old photo

Earl Spencer has offered a poignant glimpse into the history of Althorp House.

He shared a remarkable photograph of the estate from around 150 years ago before the Northamptonshire property became forever associated with his sister, Princess Diana.

The black-and-white image shows the Oval Lake on the 13,000-acre Althorp estate, surrounded by towering trees and looking remarkably peaceful. 

Today, the same spot holds a deeply personal significance for the Spencer family.

Following Diana’s death in 1997, the Princess was laid to rest on an island in the centre of the Oval Lake, away from the public eye and surrounded by the estate where she spent much of her childhood.

The former summer house has since been transformed into a memorial, allowing visitors to leave flowers and pay their respects to the late Princess during Althorp’s annual summer opening.

Sharing the historic photograph, Charles Spencer drew attention to the changing landscape of the estate and the layers of history attached to one of its most familiar locations.

Opened to the public on July 1, Diana’s birthday, and will close on August 31 - the anniversary of her death.

His new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is due to be published in September, ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death.

In announcing the book, Spencer said he wanted to “tell the truth” about his sister’s life, promising a deeply personal account of the woman behind one of the world's most recognisable public figures.

Diana’s final resting place was not the family burial ground that had originally been considered.

She had been expected to be buried in the Spencer family vault at St Mary the Virgin Church in nearby Great Brington, following a tradition that stretched across 20 generations and more than five centuries.

Instead, the decision was made to lay her to rest at Althorp, on the secluded island in the Oval Lake.