Princess Diana’s brother’s ‘beautiful’ 14-foot feature at royal’s lakeside burial place

Princess Diana’s younger brother has revealed a “beautiful” new feature that has been installed beside her burial place. The late royal, who tragically died aged 36 in 1997, is laid to rest on a private tree-covered island in the grounds of her childhood home of Althorp.

Now Charles, Earl Spencer has revealed that a 14-foot magnolia has been planted by the perimeter of an oval lake in the middle of which his sister is buried. The 61-year-old, who owns and lives on the Northamptonshire estate, shared a photo of a young tree positioned close to the outer banks.

The serene landscape has been home to the Spencer family for more than 500 years. Indeed, the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry grew up on the estate alongside the Earl, and their older sisters Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.  

It is one of many photos and videos frequently shared of the 30-bedroom Althorp House and its 13,000-acre grounds by the Earl, who inherited it upon their father John’s death in 1992. As custodian, he is now in charge of managing it, which he does with the help of his girlfriend Professor Cat Jarman after splitting with his third wife Countess Karen Spencer.

© Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Im

Princess Diana’s grave

Following her funeral at Westminster Abbey, shortly after she died in a car crash in Paris, the late royal was buried in the secluded spot which is only accessible by boat. Speaking to the BBC in 2017, the Earl said he deliberated for a long time over where to lay his sister to rest since “there was such a whipped-up feeling of emotion everywhere that I was very worried about where we could safely bury her”.

In a statement at the time, he said: “It has been decided to bury Diana, Princess of Wales, in the grounds of Althorp Park, where her grave can be properly looked after by her family and visited in privacy by her sons.”

© Getty Images

© Getty Images

Indeed, in his memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex revealed he secretly took his wife Meghan Markle to visit his mother’s burial place for the first time in 2022. It is in contrast to many Spencer family members who are traditionally buried at the family vault at St. Mary the Virgin church in Great Brington.

In 2023, it was reported by The Sun that the path to the oval lake is lined with 36 oak trees for each year of the Princess’ life. They were each planted by members of the royal family, according to The Independent, including her sons, the late Queen Elizabeth, a then-Prince Charles and members of the Spencer family.