Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, has spoken publicly about claims that he turned away his older sister, Princess Diana, following her divorce from King Charles. Addressing rumours that he refused her a home on the family’s Althorp estate, the Earl said security concerns were the sole reason Diana could not move into the property she wanted on the grounds.
Speaking to People after the publication of his new book Swan Song, Earl Spencer explained that while the late Princess of Wales had set her heart on the Garden House at Althorp, security experts judged the location unsafe.
Police ruled out the move
“When she was divorced, she did ask me for the Garden House at the back of the park,” he said. “Diana had loved it because our sister, Jane, lived there with her children, and that was perfect for them.”
Local authorities quickly ruled out the move because of the property’s exposed position. “The local police went around there with me and they said they just couldn’t protect William and Harry,” he explained. “She could not have lived at the Garden House. It was not a viable option.”
Earl Spencer previously addressed the situation in a 2016 BBC Radio 4 interview, noting that the three-bedroom house sat just 100 yards from the main road, making appropriate security impossible. He stressed that he offered alternative accommodation on the estate, though Diana had her heart set on that specific home.
Reflections on support
“I offered every other property that was suitable on the estate,” he said. “I really felt it was the right decision for her. But she probably couldn’t see it.”
Beyond the housing rumours, Earl Spencer acknowledged that he often reflects on whether he could have offered his sister more support during her turbulent years in the public eye. “Could I have done more to help her with her public life? I probably could,” he admitted, noting that while he fought quiet battles for her—including helping her win a major newspaper libel suit—he wishes he could have done more as she navigated the pressures of royal life.
