Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are sharing an intimate look at their summer vacation. As the couple and their children enjoy Europe, with a stunning beachy stop in Portugal, they’ve also visited an emotional location: Althorp House. The location is the family home of the late Princess Diana of Wales, where she grew up and where she was buried.
In one photo, 5-year-old Princess Lilibet is seen with her red hair blowing in the wind, wearing one of her signature printed summer dresses and carrying toys and a small bag in her right hand. In the distance, her father and her 7-year-old brother Archie can be seen carrying what look like bouquets, fueling speculation that the family had visited Lady Di’s grave, located on Oval Lake within the Althorp grounds.
The photo, which may have been taken by Meghan, shows them walking along a grassy path lined with trees and hedges that appears to match this stunning Spencer family property, home to Harry’s mother’s side of the family.
The first known visit by Archie and Lilibet to their grandmother’s home
© MeghanMarkle/InstagramThe Sussex family visited the UK earlier this July, in what was seen as a good opportunity for Archie and Lili to connect with their British roots. In a much-anticipated meeting, the kids saw their grandfather, King Charles, and Queen Camilla.
Now it’s been revealed that the family visited Princess Diana’s first home.
The path that leads to Diana’s grave
Known as the lined walk, or “Avenue,” this is where the prince and his children were seen. It’s made up of trees planted in a precise, symmetrical row on either side of a grassy path, a classic landscaping technique used to guide the eye and create a stately approach to grand estates.
The trees are pruned into a canopy shape, with mature deciduous specimens trimmed to a uniform crown along the row. On British estates like this one, it’s common to find these kinds of solemn walks lined with lime or English oak trees.
© Tim GrahamWhat Althorp means to Prince Harry
Harry has spoken before about how much Althorp, the sprawling estate of more than 5,000 hectares (roughly 12,000 acres), means to him.
In his memoir, “Spare,” Harry discussed the first time Meghan visited Diana’s grave, on the 25th anniversary of her death. He described the moment in detail, sharing how important it was for his mother to meet the woman he wanted to marry.
Guests of Earl Spencer
© Meghan, Duchess of Sussex/IGDuring Harry and Meghan’s recent UK visit, they stayed at Althorp as guests of Harry’s uncle, Charles, the Earl of Spencer. It’s believed they visited other family members during the trip.
Althorp House, normally open to visitors, was closed to the public on July 10 and 11, suggesting that those could have been the days when Harry, Meghan, and the kids were there.
Read the full article here
