Althorp Estate

The childhood home of Diana, Princess of Wales, Althorp House was the scene of many pivotal moments in the story of the British royal family. Most significantly, it was where a young Diana Spencer first met her future husband, Prince Charles. Althorp was founded by Sir John Spencer over 500 years ago and has been the family home for 19 generations. By the early 15th century, the village was almost deserted and the acreage was up for grabs. Sir John Spencer, who grazed sheep in the village, eventually bought up the land in 1508 and built Althorp House using funds from his sheep-farming business.