Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, has shared a rare photograph of her resting place just days before his nephew, Prince Harry, moves back to the UK. The Earl took to his official Instagram account to post a new, unseen black-and-white image of the Oval Lake at Althorp House.
The late Princess of Wales was laid to rest in 1997 on a small island in the ornamental lake known as The Round Oval, located within Althorp Park's gardens. A path of thirty-six oak trees leads to the Oval, marking each year of her life. The new photograph shows the Round Oval and the temple, which now serves as a memorial for Diana, across it.
Photo Taken 130 Years Ago
According to the earl, the picture was taken “130 years ago”. The post comes as Diana's brother prepares for the release of his new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which is set to be released next month.
The photo was shared just weeks after Charles met with Harry during his five-day trip to the UK in July. The Duke of Sussex even took his family to his mother's grave.
Burial and Funeral Details
Originally, Prince William and Prince Harry's mother was meant to be buried in the Spencer family vault; however, the plan was rejected due to safety concerns. Princess Diana's funeral took place on September 6, 1997, in a ceremony attended by 2,000 people and watched by another 2.5 billion worldwide. The official ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey in London and finished at the resting place in Althorp.
In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry wrote that there was “absolutely no way” he would have let William walk behind their mother's coffin alone. He said: “There's absolutely no way that I would let him do that by himself. And there's absolutely no way that he would let me do that by myself. It was if it was role reversal.”
