Princess Diana’s Brother Shares Poignant Childhood Photo Honoring His Sister on the 26th Anniversary of Her Death
To mark the 26th anniversary of Princess Diana‘s death, her only brother, Charles Spencer, shared a rare childhood photo on social media. The Instagram snap appeared to capture a happy moment between brother and sister, taken when they were small children.
The poignant photo shows Charles Spencer and Diana, Princess of Wales’ close relationship
Charles Spencer and his sister Diana were the youngest of four siblings. Their two older sisters, Sarah and Jane, were significantly older. Therefore, Charles and Diana were extraordinarily close.
They grew up at Althorp House, the family’s ancestral home. Charles continues to live at Althrop today.
The 9th Earl Spencer did not provide a caption to the Instagram photo. It showed Diana with her arm wrapped protectively around her little brother.
Diana wore a striped dress with puffy sleeves and a Peter Pan collar with matching pink shoes. Charles stood to her left, wearing a blue shirt with a collar and shorts.
Royal watchers added their remarks about the sweet childhood memory. “Gone but never forgotten, beautiful Diana,” wrote one of the earl’s Instagram followers.
“Such a wonderful picture; she will always be missed, ” a second social media user penned. “Beautiful picture of you and your sister Diana; she’ll always be with you,” a third fan noted.
“May you take comfort in the beautiful memories you made with your beautiful older sister, Diana. We miss her,” concluded a fourth follower.
Earl Spencer said he and Diana were ‘very much in it together’
Princess Diana and her brother, Charles Spencer, experienced the painful breakup of their parents’ marriage firsthand. Their older sisters were away at boarding school, so this childhood trauma bonded the youngest of the Spencer siblings.
Spencer told The Sunday Times in September 2020 and discussed the trauma their parents’ divorce had on him and Diana. “Diana and I had two older sisters who were away at school, so she and I were very much in it together, and I did talk to her about it,” he explained.
“Our father was a quiet and constant source of love, but our mother wasn’t cut out for maternity. Not her fault; she couldn’t do it,” he continued.
“While she was packing her stuff to leave, she promised Diana, 5, she’d come back to see her. Diana used to wait on the doorstep for her, but she never came,” he recalled.
Charles lives at and maintains the Spencer childhood home where Princess Diana is buried
The 9th Earl Spencer currently resides at Althorp House. This is the ancestral Spencer family home where he was raised alongside his sister.
Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris, France, on Aug. 31, 1997. Her body was returned to London, accompanied by her ex-husband, then-Prince Charles, and her sisters Jane and Sarah.
A public outpouring of grief fell over London, where Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and St. James Palace were besieged for over 12 days with 60 million flowers. On Sept. 6, 1997, Diana’s funeral aired worldwide.
Diana was laid to rest in a special island burial site on the grounds of Althrop Estate. She is subsequently buried on a small island called “The Oval.”
The area is surrounded by trees planted by her sons, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Diana. Her grave is not accessible to the public, but it can be viewed from a distance, and there is an opportunity to leave flowers at a nearby memorial.
