In a twist shaped by tradition, Prince William and Prince Harry will not be inheriting their mum’s iconic family estate Althorp House. Thanks to the rules of primogeniture, Princess Diana’s 13,500-acre Northamptonshire estate will instead go to Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp.
WHAT IS PRIMOGENITURE
Primogeniture is the centuries-old practice of passing down estates to the firstborn male heir. To this day, it remains a cornerstone of British aristocratic inheritance.
ALTHORP HOUSE HAS SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Althorp House holds significant sentimental value for both Prince William and Prince Harry. The sprawling estate is more than their late mother’s childhood home – it’s also her final resting place. Her gravesite is on an island in the middle of a lake on the property called Round Oval.
Boasting a main house with 90 rooms spread across 100,000 square feet, the property also includes a portrait gallery, lake and nearly 30 subsidiary listed structures. They span “farming, forestry and field sports businesses.”
Althorp House has been in the Spencer family since 1508. And Diana’s brother Earl Charles Spencer, who just announced he was divorcing his third wife, has been maintaining it since the early 1990s.
WHO IS LOUIS SPENCER?
Louis, the poster boy for primogeniture, remains largely out of the spotlight. A source revealed to The Telegraph that, “he’s super private and gets on quietly with his thing.
“He’s a very talented actor, and I think, a brilliant one. You’d like him. He’s very low-key and genuine, decent and kind and tall.”
His sister Kitty Spencer opened up about Louis’ inheritance. She said that all the siblings (he has three older sisters) grew up knowing that he would inherit the property. So, it’s always been a non-issue.
“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,” she shared.
Charles Spencer did open up about the possibility of the estate going to Kitty, saying he’d be “totally relaxed about Kitty inheriting it. But, he continued, “if I chose Kitty, it would go against all the tradition that goes with Althorp.”
While Louis would like to continue following his passion for acting, Princess Diana’s 30-year-old nephew has been attending trustee meetings for years now. So, theoretically, he should be ready to take over when he needs to.
PRINCE WILLIAM & PRINCE HARRY’S INHERITANCE
Princess Diana loved her boys very much. And after her tragic passing in 1997, Princes William and Harry didn’t walk away empty handed – only broken hearted.
The two immediately received most of her £13 million fortune as well as many pieces from her exquisite jewellery collection. And William and Harry have gone to great lengths to preserve their mother’s memory and carry on her legacy in the decades since her death.
From charity work, to travel and, of course, the beautiful tribute in Princess Charlotte and Lilibet’s names, both of Diana’s sons are keeping her memory very much alive despite the pain of their loss.
The princes have also been very involved with the Diana Award since its inception in 1999. However, the two have not attended the event in person together in some time.
