The real shocking reason Prince Harry and Prince William won’t inherit Princess Diana’s childhood home!
When Princess Diana died, her sons Prince William and Prince Harry inherited most of her £13million fortune, including her possessions, jewellery and money.
The money was placed in trusts and invested, which resulted in the fortune swelling to more than £20million by the time they were of age.
But there is one family heirloom which didn’t form part of her inheritance due to a centuries-old practice.
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.
Diana spent childhood holidays at the 5,463-hectare estate before moving in permanently at the age of 14.
The estate will go to William and Harry’s cousin Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, the son of Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer and his first wife, Victoria Lockwood.
Despite the fact that Louis Spencer, who grew up in South Africa, has an elder sister, Lady Kitty Spencer, he will inherit the title and estimated £100million estate.
This is because of the centuries-old practice of male primogeniture, by which an aristocrat’s title and estate passes to the eldest son, rather than the eldest child.
When Princess Diana died, her sons Prince William and Prince Harry inherited most of her £13million fortune, including her possessions, jewellery and money
The estate will go to William and Harry’s cousin Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, the son of Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer and his first wife, Victoria Lockwood. Viscount Althorp and Harry are pictured in 2018.
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
Over the years politicians have waded in on the controversial topic of primogeniture.
When he was 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’.
Former PM Boris Johnson reportedly ordered the issue of male primogeniture be looked into as part of plans to make Parliament more welcoming to women.
Earl Spencer, 58, however, is not inclined to embrace the ‘changing attitudes’ and has spoken out to say he will keep to tradition and choose Louis as his heir.
In 2015 he said: ‘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. 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.’
Perhaps it is easy to see why the Earl favours keeping the estate ‘together’.
William and Harry’s inheritance was placed in trusts and invested, which resulted in the fortune swelling to more than £20million by the time they were of age
Earl Spencer and William are pictured at the funeral ceremony of Princess Diana
Despite the fact that Louis Spencer (pictured) who grew up in South Africa, has an elder sister, Lady Kitty Spencer, he will inherit the title and estimated £100million estate
