Royal Family News
Princess Diana’s Nephew, Louis Spencer, Set to Inherit Althorp Estate
In 1993, Princess Diana signed her last will and testament, gifting many of her possessions to her two sons, William and Harry.
However, acquiring that inheritance proved to be quite complicated.
At the time of her death in August 1997, Diana reportedly had a net worth of about 21 million pounds, including all of her funds, stock investments, physical objects like jewelry and clothing, and her divorce settlement from Prince Charles.
According to the documents she signed on June 1, 1993, her net worth was divided between several different people, including her longtime butler, Paul Burrell, and her many godchildren.
But unsurprisingly, her primary beneficiaries were her beloved sons, William and Harry.
While most people know about Prince William and Prince Harry's cousins from Prince Charles's side, few realize that they also have many cousins from their mother's family.
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Diana was born into the aristocratic Spencer family and grew up on the Althorp estate in Northampton, a 100,000 square feet, 90-room home which will one day be inherited by her nephew, Louis Frederick John Spencer, Viscount Althorp.
Louis, born on March 14, 1994, is the fourth child of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, and Victoria Lockwood, and he has been praised for his likeness to his cousin Prince Harry.
He is also a nephew of the late Princess Diana, Lady Sarah MacAucadale, and Jane Fellows, Baroness Fellows.
When he was born, Louis quickly became the poster boy for primogeniture, a historic rule that unseats any female heir if a younger brother is born.
While the rules of primogeniture were altered in the succession to the Crown Act 2013, meaning that any younger brother born after this date can no longer leapfrog an older sister, the rule still applies to the Spencer family.
This means that Louis will one day be the 10th Earl Spencer, while his older sisters, Lady Kitty, Lady Eliza, and Lady Amelia, will not inherit the title.
Lady Kitty spoke about how she feels knowing that her younger brother will inherit the title, saying, “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.”
The current Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, explained in 2015 that he was happy with the tradition, saying, “I would be totally relaxed about Kitty inheriting it, but if I chose Kitty it would be against all the tradition that goes with all thought.”
The impressive stately home, which was built in 1508, measures in at 100,000 square feet and boasts 90 rooms, incredible grounds, and a portrait gallery.
The family also owns homes in London, Norfolk, Warwickshire, and South Africa.
Louis has been described as a quiet man and a talented actor, and following his appearance at Prince Harry's wedding in 2018, many were desperate to know if the handsome aristocrat was single.
He even found a fan in award-winning singer Nicki Minaj, who shared a photo with him on Instagram and captioned it, “The Royal Family Stopped By.
At Louis Spencer nephew of Princess Diana, he said he wants to marry me hashtag London hashtag the Pinkprint Tour.”
Louis grew up in Cape Town with his elder sisters but later moved to the UK and studied at the University of Edinburgh.
As he prepares to inherit the Althorp estate, Louis is poised to become one of the most eligible bachelors in the country.