The Real Reason Prince William and Prince Harry Won't Inherit Princess Diana's Beloved Althorp
Princess Diana’s sons won’t inherit the home where she grew up, and the reason comes down to a centuries-old tradition.
It has been known that Princess Diana was particularly fond of her childhood home at Althorp. Following her untimely death, she was buried at her ancestral home. However, neither Prince William or Prince Harry will be inheriting the stunning property.
Althorp has remained in the Spencer family for more than 500 years and is currently owned by Diana’s younger brother, Charles Spencer, the current Earl Spencer. While William and Harry can visit their mother’s gravesite whenever they wish, the estate will not be passed down to either of them.
The Spencer family has owned Althorp since 1508, with the sprawling Northamptonshire estate covering around 13,000 acres. Diana’s father inherited the title of Earl Spencer in 1975 and brought the family to the ancestral property. Since Althorp is a Spencer family estate rather than Diana’s personal property, it could not be passed down to William or Harry. Today, it is under the care of her brother, who holds the title.
The estate is expected to pass to Spencer’s only son, Louis, Viscount Althorp, who will become the next Earl Spencer. Louis has three older sisters, Lady Kitty, Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia, but the family’s inheritance follows primogeniture, meaning the eldest male takes precedence when titles and property are passed down.
Spencer previously addressed the possibility that his eldest child, Kitty, might inherit Althorp. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday in 2015 (via PEOPLE), he said he would be “totally relaxed” about the idea. However, he also acknowledged that doing so would go against the long-standing tradition surrounding the estate, saying, “If I chose Kitty, it would be against all the tradition that goes with Althorp. It's just the way it is. I get the problems with it as a concept. I also get the strengths of it having worked to date.”
The outlet also reported that Kitty shared her thoughts on the inheritance in the December 2015 issue of Tatler, saying she supported gender equality but was comfortable with her brother eventually taking on the responsibility. “I’m totally pro-gender equality. But I’m quite happy that that’s [going to be] my brother’s responsibility. I just think it’s the correct way.”
She continued, “I like that the house stays within the same family, with the same surname. I wouldn’t want it any other way for the Spencers. And I just know my brother is going to do an impeccable job.”
