01 October 2023 , 12:25
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The childhood home of Princess Diana has been listed on a posh Airbnb-style site — but it's unlikely guests are allowed anywhere near her island grave in the middle of the lake.
Grade I-listed Althorp House has been put up for rent on high-class property site Elysian Estates by her brother, Earl Charles Spencer. The exact fee is not disclosed but guests can likely expect to pay tens of thousands for just a single night at the mansion, which “sleeps 72” and sits in 13,000 acres in Northants. The agency can also offer flunkeys, chefs, helicopter transfer, a pianist, shooting, stalking and fireworks as part of the experience.
Earl Charles Spencer has listed the family home on a posh Airbnb-style site (Getty Images)The website listing states: "Althorp truly is one of the most spectacular, luxurious and exclusive venues in the UK. The ancestral home of the Spencer family, Althorp stands sentinel in its vast private estate, with a magnificent exterior matched by the beauty of the surrounding parkland. To stay at Althorp is to become part of the amazing history of this magnificent property, renowned for its discreet yet spectacular hospitality to guests including royalty and aristocracy since 1508."
The Spencer family's magnificent ancestral home was built in 1688 and boasts dining halls, a chapel, billiard rooms, priceless works of art and a picture gallery (Getty Images)The listing goes on to say: "Althorp offers an unforgettable setting for hosting exceptional occasions, with discreet service, exquisite cuisine, spectacular surroundings and a wonderful sense of history all combined with 21st century luxury."
The island in the estate’s Oval Lake houses Princess Diana's last resting place following her tragic death in a car crash in Paris. Earl Spencer said the family chose the location to “act as a buffer against... the insane and ghoulish”. The burial site is not mentioned in the listing, indicating it is not available for guests to access.
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Althorp is the ancestral home of the Spencer family (Birmingham Post and Mail)Princess Di's death on August 31, 1997, sent shockwaves across the globe, with millions grieving the loss of the woman they had witnessed growing from a shy teenaged nursery school teacher to a glamorous celebrity who became an icon for many caught up in the AIDS epidemic.
Tens of thousands came to her home in Kensington Palace to pay their respects while mourning the loss of a woman most of whom had never met. This outpouring of grief forced the royals to recognise her legacy and that she had connected with people in ways many of them had never been capable of.
Earl Spencer faced a barrage of criticism in 2013 for using a travel firm to let out Althorp for £25,000 a night to tourists. The Mirror has approached Althorp estate for comment.