Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire, where Princess Diana grew up and is buried, will be passed down to another member of the Spencer family instead of her two sons, because of one centuries-old tradition
When Princess Diana tragically died in 1997, her two young sons, Princes William and Harry, inherited the majority of her £13million fortune, including her possessions, jewellery and money.
The money was both invested and placed in a trust until they reached legal age, with the fortune swelling to more than £20 million. Despite inheriting much of their late mother’s belongings, William and Harry will not inherit Diana’s childhood home due to one strict rule.
The Grade I listed Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire, where Diana grew up and is buried, has been owned by the Spencer family for more than 500 years. The late Princess of Wales spent many holidays at the huge property before permanently moving in at the age of 14. It comes after Kate Middleton halts summer break to release new video with emotional statement.
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Despite Harry or William’s potential desire to inherit the property, it will instead go to their cousin, Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp: the son of Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer and his first wife, Victoria Lockwood.
Louis will inherit the £100 million estate and title, despite the fact that he has older siblings – Lady Kitty, Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer – due to centuries-old tradition. The Spencers will follow the practice of male primogeniture, by which an aristocrat’s title and estate passes to the eldest son, rather than the eldest child.
In years past, various politicians have spoken out about male primogeniture and its sexist undertones. During his time as prime minister, David Cameron said: “The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter, simply because he is a man, just isn’t acceptable any more.”
Boris Johnson echoed the sentiment several years later as he reportedly ordered the issue of male primogeniture be looked into as part of plans to make Parliament more welcoming to women.
Despite the demand to abandon the practice, Earl Spencer has previously said that he is not inclined to embrace the “changing attitudes” and said he will keep to tradition.
In 2015 he said: “If I chose Kitty [his eldest child] 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. It is still intact. If you go around the chateaux of the Loire or whatever, they are empty.
“Everything gets split equally through the generations and you end up with a beautiful building with one nice tapestry in it. The whole idea of primogeniture was to keep it together.”
Kitty also previously discussed being overlooked in the order of inheritance in an interview with Town & Country magazine, as she said: “Primogeniture can be a tricky topic, because as times are changing, attitudes are as well. We’ve grown up understanding that it’s Louis to inherit, and Louis will do an incredible job.”
In the December 2015 issue of Tatler, Kitty reiterated: “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.”
