Prince Harry recently visited Althorp House, the childhood home of his late mother, Princess Diana, but he will never inherit the estate. The Duke of Sussex was seen leaving the Northamptonshire property on Saturday morning, hours after a meeting with his father King Charles, Queen Camilla, Meghan Markle, and his children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Althorp's Inheritance Rules
Althorp House, nestled within the vast Althorp Estate, is where Princess Diana lived as a child with her siblings, including her brother Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, who currently occupies the home. However, instead of passing the property to his nephew Prince Harry, the 62-year-old earl intends to hand it to his eldest son, Louis, Viscount Althorp, who is 32.
Under primogeniture rules, which dictate that the eldest male in a family inherits titles and property, Louis will inherit Diana's childhood home despite having three older sisters: Lady Kitty, Lady Eliza, and Lady Amelia. In 2015, Earl Spencer told the Mail on Sunday, "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."
Family Perspectives on Inheritance
Lady Kitty, 34, expressed her support for the tradition in the December 2015 issue of Tatler, saying: "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. 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."
Althorp's History and Diana's Resting Place
Althorp has been the ancestral seat of the Spencer family since 1508. It also serves as Princess Diana's resting place. The late Princess of Wales was laid to rest 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. Originally, Diana was meant to be buried in the Spencer family vault, but that plan was rejected over safety concerns. Althorp House, covering 100,000 square feet, boasts 30 luxurious bedrooms and numerous stunning features.
