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Althorp: The Story of an English House
Provides an intimate look at the history of Princess Diana's family home, which spans twenty generations and has gained new interest as the final resting place of a beloved royal
192 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 19, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book which is basically a "family photo album" of Princess Diana's childhood home; written by her brother, Charles Spencer. The history alone is breathtaking and I gobbled up all the lovely descriptions, pictures and outside landscaping along with the estate's wonderfully appointed architecture.
Quite simply beautifully done.
Quite simply beautifully done.
April 9, 2021
This is the story of the history of an English country house which was the family seat of the Spencer family. When I picked it up I didn’t know that Princess Diana was among its family line. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, gaining a better understanding of the history of the Spencers, of their time eras, and a fascinating view of what it entails to keep a family estate.
December 23, 2017
Interesting look at the home of the Spencer family. Review to come.
May 5, 2015
I quite enjoyed this story of Althorp, the ancestral home of the author, who is the 9th Earl and also the brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. A well written history of a lovely home, its owners over the centuries, some marvellous photographs of both the house, the grounds and outbuildings as well as the lovely treasures and artworks inside. He brings a "personal" touch to the facts that makes it quite readable and not just a history lesson.
September 4, 2024
Althorp has been in my consciousness for decades -- it's the ancestral home of Princess Diana. I remember reading about it in the 1980s in the buildup to the wedding. Despite the spelling, it was to be pronounced "ALL TRUP" (of course, the English pronounce Gloucester "Gluster" etc, so "unusual" pronunciations are to be expected, I've learned). Diana lived there during her teen years, when her grandfather died and her father became the next Earl Spencer. Althorp has been the home of the Spencer family for generations. It's also where Diana is buried now.
I haven't been to England since Diana died. So, when a trip there was planned, I knew I wanted to visit Althorp. But first, I wanted to learn more about it. Hence Althorp, The Story of a Country House, which is written by her brother Charles, who is the current Earl Spencer.
This is part coffee table-type book with lots of photos from the estate, and part history book. It's a bonus in my opinion that Earl Charles Spencer, the current owner, wrote the book. It gives it a more personal touch than say the book I read on Blenheim, which was not written by someone with a personal interest. The earl has obviously learned a lot about the history of the house and appreciates its part in his family's history, throwing in interesting little anecdotes here and there. One is of his Great Aunt Margaret, who always insisted that a little girl with gray slippers would come through a small door in the picture gallery and talk with her.
He mentions the ALL TRUP as the preferred pronunciation, but around the time of Charles and Diana's wedding, so many media outlets pronounced it ALL THRUP that he just gave up and accepted this as the current version. He is very candid with his opinions in this book; sharing that he doesn't feel the 500-year-old house is very beautiful outside and that he'd prefer that it have its earlier brick facade rather than the tile-encased bricks of today. He also shares that Althorp is difficult to reach, which I've learned in my efforts to plan a day there. For me, it's a ride on the Tube, then a ride on a train, then a bus, and finally 15 minutes of walking. Fingers crossed that I'll get all that done correctly, as well as get back again! When he was facing his own worries as to how to keep the home restored and in the family, its remote location was a problem ("Northampton is a no-man's land").
I learned as I read that as at Blenheim, the various earls who've lived here have each put their own stamp on the place. One drained the moat it had at one time, largely due to the moisture wreaking havoc on the many paintings in the house. In the past 100 years, changes have mainly been of diminishment: one sold many works in the library, another sold much of the art. Spencer refers to the "harsh tax regime" of the 1950s-1970s which forced many ancestral manor homes to be abandoned. It's clear he was not a fan of the changes made by his step-mother, Raine, who "took a firm grip of the situation; something my father felt simultaneously guilty about and grateful for." He grumbles over the "electric green velveteen on the walls" she added and mentions the importance of seeing "the humour in everything, of course, and that includes Raine's attempt to clad all the elegant Georgian rooms in the house in the ugliest imaginable double-glazing ... I must say, too, that it was some achievement to make the mighty Picture Gallery look mundane, by installing wall-to-wall oatmeal carpet: if I had not seen it, I would not have believed it possible." Oh my.
During Charles Spencer's time as earl, which began in 1992, he opened the house to visitors "the sixty days a year for which we had, by agreement with the Capital Taxes Office, to be open." Hmmm, somehow this didn't make me feel all that welcome as a guest? He also shares that he wants to host events appropriate to Althorp. "By that I do not mean on some appalling, snobbish level; but that only things that somehow seemed to fit the feel of the place were allowed." He then mentions a lovely gathering of the Rolls Royce Club. I dunno, but somehow I'm guessing it is a bit snobbish :) Maybe if I were earl I'd be the same way.
Good "insider" look into Althorp house and grounds.
I haven't been to England since Diana died. So, when a trip there was planned, I knew I wanted to visit Althorp. But first, I wanted to learn more about it. Hence Althorp, The Story of a Country House, which is written by her brother Charles, who is the current Earl Spencer.
This is part coffee table-type book with lots of photos from the estate, and part history book. It's a bonus in my opinion that Earl Charles Spencer, the current owner, wrote the book. It gives it a more personal touch than say the book I read on Blenheim, which was not written by someone with a personal interest. The earl has obviously learned a lot about the history of the house and appreciates its part in his family's history, throwing in interesting little anecdotes here and there. One is of his Great Aunt Margaret, who always insisted that a little girl with gray slippers would come through a small door in the picture gallery and talk with her.
He mentions the ALL TRUP as the preferred pronunciation, but around the time of Charles and Diana's wedding, so many media outlets pronounced it ALL THRUP that he just gave up and accepted this as the current version. He is very candid with his opinions in this book; sharing that he doesn't feel the 500-year-old house is very beautiful outside and that he'd prefer that it have its earlier brick facade rather than the tile-encased bricks of today. He also shares that Althorp is difficult to reach, which I've learned in my efforts to plan a day there. For me, it's a ride on the Tube, then a ride on a train, then a bus, and finally 15 minutes of walking. Fingers crossed that I'll get all that done correctly, as well as get back again! When he was facing his own worries as to how to keep the home restored and in the family, its remote location was a problem ("Northampton is a no-man's land").
I learned as I read that as at Blenheim, the various earls who've lived here have each put their own stamp on the place. One drained the moat it had at one time, largely due to the moisture wreaking havoc on the many paintings in the house. In the past 100 years, changes have mainly been of diminishment: one sold many works in the library, another sold much of the art. Spencer refers to the "harsh tax regime" of the 1950s-1970s which forced many ancestral manor homes to be abandoned. It's clear he was not a fan of the changes made by his step-mother, Raine, who "took a firm grip of the situation; something my father felt simultaneously guilty about and grateful for." He grumbles over the "electric green velveteen on the walls" she added and mentions the importance of seeing "the humour in everything, of course, and that includes Raine's attempt to clad all the elegant Georgian rooms in the house in the ugliest imaginable double-glazing ... I must say, too, that it was some achievement to make the mighty Picture Gallery look mundane, by installing wall-to-wall oatmeal carpet: if I had not seen it, I would not have believed it possible." Oh my.
During Charles Spencer's time as earl, which began in 1992, he opened the house to visitors "the sixty days a year for which we had, by agreement with the Capital Taxes Office, to be open." Hmmm, somehow this didn't make me feel all that welcome as a guest? He also shares that he wants to host events appropriate to Althorp. "By that I do not mean on some appalling, snobbish level; but that only things that somehow seemed to fit the feel of the place were allowed." He then mentions a lovely gathering of the Rolls Royce Club. I dunno, but somehow I'm guessing it is a bit snobbish :) Maybe if I were earl I'd be the same way.
Good "insider" look into Althorp house and grounds.
August 30, 2023
Althorp is a well-known house in the UK, especially as the final resting place of Princess Diana. Althorp is located in the English county of Northamptonshire. The estate is owned by the noble Spencer family. The estate now houses a museum in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, who was daughter of the eighth Earl Spencer and who lived at Althorp in her youth. Diana is buried on an islet in the great pond of Althorp.
The book about Althorp was written by the current Earl of Spencer: Charles, the younger brother of Princess Diana. It has become a fascinating book, full of quirky personal details and stories. Charles Spencer describes, among other things, how the family was able to keep their house despite changes with each generation and the economic pressure on English aristocratic houses with falling rents and a lack of ready houses…. Yes, the high nobility is also about money.. .
The book not only teaches the reader about the ins and outs of a great English house. But it also teaches the reader how it can be an additional source of money. Think, for example, of temporary opening, guided tours and, in the case of Althorp, even a museum.
Of course this book has more to offer. This is how we get to know the inhabitants over the centuries. This is largely done chronologically, through a variety of photos and text. An interesting bit of history of the Spencer family, how they acquired the house and how it was recreated and maintained despite difficulties etc…
The author does not skip much, we read about : architecture, landscapes, servants, art or books etc. The book also contains a lot of information, mostly rather melancholic, about the family’s efforts to preserve the legacy of their famous princess.
In summary : The Earl of Spencer knows how to convey the feeling of what a family legacy entails, the beautiful and the less pleasant of it. A book, full of family stories that go back five centuries. Despite being a book from 1998, the book is definitely worth reading!
The book about Althorp was written by the current Earl of Spencer: Charles, the younger brother of Princess Diana. It has become a fascinating book, full of quirky personal details and stories. Charles Spencer describes, among other things, how the family was able to keep their house despite changes with each generation and the economic pressure on English aristocratic houses with falling rents and a lack of ready houses…. Yes, the high nobility is also about money.. .
The book not only teaches the reader about the ins and outs of a great English house. But it also teaches the reader how it can be an additional source of money. Think, for example, of temporary opening, guided tours and, in the case of Althorp, even a museum.
Of course this book has more to offer. This is how we get to know the inhabitants over the centuries. This is largely done chronologically, through a variety of photos and text. An interesting bit of history of the Spencer family, how they acquired the house and how it was recreated and maintained despite difficulties etc…
The author does not skip much, we read about : architecture, landscapes, servants, art or books etc. The book also contains a lot of information, mostly rather melancholic, about the family’s efforts to preserve the legacy of their famous princess.
In summary : The Earl of Spencer knows how to convey the feeling of what a family legacy entails, the beautiful and the less pleasant of it. A book, full of family stories that go back five centuries. Despite being a book from 1998, the book is definitely worth reading!
June 6, 2017
Spencer writes an interesting history of his family home with brief biographical information about a few of the better known Spencers who have lived at Althorp. Several pages are about his sister, Princess Diana, but they focus on her burial on the grounds and adjustments to the property.
His tone was occasionally arrogant, but at least he acknowledged that his tone was probably going to be perceived as arrogant.
Sadly the kindle version appeared to have been edited carelessly. Almost every page had at least one spelling or grammatical error. It was rather distracting. In fairness the book probably deserves a 4, but the poor editing bothered me.
His tone was occasionally arrogant, but at least he acknowledged that his tone was probably going to be perceived as arrogant.
Sadly the kindle version appeared to have been edited carelessly. Almost every page had at least one spelling or grammatical error. It was rather distracting. In fairness the book probably deserves a 4, but the poor editing bothered me.
January 7, 2020
Bit of a mistake reading this on Kindle - no photos which I think are in the print version - and FULL of spelling errors. Seriously, I don't think anyone proof read this - Earl was frequently replaced with Karl, to mention just one. The overall book was Ok.
August 1, 2021
Bit of vanity project. There were elements that were very good in terms of the actual history of althorp. But it was when Spencer diverted it off and there was an air of pomposity that I didn't really enjoy.
March 15, 2024
It is so cool that no matter who you are we all have a story to tell. This was an enjoyable read about a family that just happens to know their history back to the 1500's. I used to think I would want to own a home like this but the upkeep must be phenomenal and that is overwhelming.
January 22, 2022
Very interesting. Enjoyed all the photographs.
January 25, 2023
Easy and informative read about a great English house and its bid to survive. lf you like to hear about Chatsworth,Blenheim etc then this is worth a look.
July 28, 2016
If you know the name Charles Spencer at all, it is likely as the brother of the late Princess Diana. If you did not draw the connection before, reading this book will let the reader know more about the Spencers and their palatial family home of Althorp (it’s not pronounced all-thorp like one might expect) than most readers would have ever imagined. Rather than being a vanity project from the current leader of one of England’s most privileged noble houses, which this easily could have been, it is the sort of engaging and very touching book, full of quirky personal details and stories, that makes Charles Spencer and his family appear human, in all their eccentricities and foibles, and that brings their house to life, demonstrating how the family was able to keep their house despite changes every generation and the economic pressures on English aristocratic houses with declining rents and a lack of ready cash. This is the sort of book that not only enlightens the reader on a great English house, but also provides an additional cash source for English noble families—possibly in the future virtual tours of such houses will improve to the level where families can profit from it. Perhaps what this book does could be done for other such houses, like the Herberts’ Wilton [1]. When a book gives ideas for further books of the same line, it has done a good job.
The contents of this book are mostly chronological, as the author, through a variety of photos and discussion, winds his way through the early history of the Spencer family, how they acquired the house, and how it was remade and cared for despite difficulties like a long economic crisis for the family that lasted several generations, how the desire for authenticity and to draw enough people to visit to allow for upkeep to be made on the house as a living museum but not too many to overwhelm the security and well-being of the home and the populace. Whether looking at architecture, landscapes, servants, art, or books, the author manages to simultaneously convey a family with a rich and noble tradition worth maintaining and also the sort of resilience and resourcefulness that allowed the family and its house to long endure past the peak of noble families and their estates. The author shows himself to be an apt student of a tradition he admits he did not know a great deal about at the time he succeeded to the earldom. The book also contains a lot of information, much of it rather melancholy, about the family’s efforts to preserve the legacy of their famous princess.
So, what works about this book? For one, the author himself writes with deeply personal and honest prose, including his ambivalence towards the duties and responsibilities of being a part of the high nobility and his equally evident longing to be worthy of the name which he has. Even if few of us come from the social class of the author, or have so many nice things, Earl Spencer manages to convey the sense of having a family legacy that is both lengthy and heavy, something that one would be tempted both to revel in as well as run away from. It is the fact that the reader can both appreciate the art and architecture and landscaping of the Spencers’ country manse house and also simultaneously relate and empathize with the struggles of the family that owns it that makes this book work. At a short 160-something pages, this book delivers the goods in an awesome house and does not overstay its welcome. Let us hope that Charles Spencer has other books in mind to write that are as well-written as this one.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
The contents of this book are mostly chronological, as the author, through a variety of photos and discussion, winds his way through the early history of the Spencer family, how they acquired the house, and how it was remade and cared for despite difficulties like a long economic crisis for the family that lasted several generations, how the desire for authenticity and to draw enough people to visit to allow for upkeep to be made on the house as a living museum but not too many to overwhelm the security and well-being of the home and the populace. Whether looking at architecture, landscapes, servants, art, or books, the author manages to simultaneously convey a family with a rich and noble tradition worth maintaining and also the sort of resilience and resourcefulness that allowed the family and its house to long endure past the peak of noble families and their estates. The author shows himself to be an apt student of a tradition he admits he did not know a great deal about at the time he succeeded to the earldom. The book also contains a lot of information, much of it rather melancholy, about the family’s efforts to preserve the legacy of their famous princess.
So, what works about this book? For one, the author himself writes with deeply personal and honest prose, including his ambivalence towards the duties and responsibilities of being a part of the high nobility and his equally evident longing to be worthy of the name which he has. Even if few of us come from the social class of the author, or have so many nice things, Earl Spencer manages to convey the sense of having a family legacy that is both lengthy and heavy, something that one would be tempted both to revel in as well as run away from. It is the fact that the reader can both appreciate the art and architecture and landscaping of the Spencers’ country manse house and also simultaneously relate and empathize with the struggles of the family that owns it that makes this book work. At a short 160-something pages, this book delivers the goods in an awesome house and does not overstay its welcome. Let us hope that Charles Spencer has other books in mind to write that are as well-written as this one.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
February 22, 2016
Very interesting. 20 generations in the same house is amazing. It's good that some of these great houses have been saved and people are able to see them. It is quite an undertaking to maintain this kind of historical home. I was disappointed there were no photographs on my Kindle edition because some of the reviews mention their beauty. Only paid 99 cents but not sure I would have purchased had I known the only photo was on the cover.
February 28, 2016
Great encapsulation
Of a larger than life home and dynasty. I loved the latter parts much more than the former. Mr. Spencer writes familiarly and well. We feel we have been given special insight. Through tragedy and triumph, Althorp continues via the Spencer family and that is the best part.
However, no pictures and too, too many spelling errors made me crazy and lowers the book in my estimation.
Of a larger than life home and dynasty. I loved the latter parts much more than the former. Mr. Spencer writes familiarly and well. We feel we have been given special insight. Through tragedy and triumph, Althorp continues via the Spencer family and that is the best part.
However, no pictures and too, too many spelling errors made me crazy and lowers the book in my estimation.
March 8, 2016
Althorp
This is a fascinating book, filled with family stories going back five centuries. It's obvious that Charles Spencer has great pride in his ancestors, while realistically recounting their foibles as well as their great successes. I would have given it 5 stars, but the constant and repetitive spelling errors detracted from my enjoyment of the content. Still I recommend it, despite every single use of the word earl being written as Karl among the other misspellings.
This is a fascinating book, filled with family stories going back five centuries. It's obvious that Charles Spencer has great pride in his ancestors, while realistically recounting their foibles as well as their great successes. I would have given it 5 stars, but the constant and repetitive spelling errors detracted from my enjoyment of the content. Still I recommend it, despite every single use of the word earl being written as Karl among the other misspellings.
January 18, 2016
A thoroughly enjoyable book. It is interesting to learn about the home and history through the eyes of Charles Spencer, the current owner. Even though numerous treasures were sold cheaply or discarded foolishly, the house still retains dignity and beauty. Owning a house such as this must be both a pleasure and a burden.
April 27, 2016
Well written vs. Numerous typos
I am at a loss as to how to review this book for two reasons. First, the writing by Charles Spencer is creative and inviting, very well written. However, who was the editor here? There must be over 200 typos! Unbelievable, and unconscionable! This is what I paid for?
I am at a loss as to how to review this book for two reasons. First, the writing by Charles Spencer is creative and inviting, very well written. However, who was the editor here? There must be over 200 typos! Unbelievable, and unconscionable! This is what I paid for?
January 1, 2017
I describe this as a lengthy souvenir book without the pictures. I was interested in the decision making of Diana's burial, but hated all the justification for his actions since then with the estate.
Tidbit: the Earl denied Diana her favorite home on the estate due to security concerns post divorce
Tidbit: the Earl denied Diana her favorite home on the estate due to security concerns post divorce
March 2, 2008
A very nice Sunday afternoon read. The Spencer's history was far longer and more impressive than I had realized.
October 30, 2011
I skim read this for family history purposes.
January 18, 2013
easy, quick read, nice pictures. love the history of the house.
Read
May 10, 2014Beautiful pictures and wonderful story. Lots of history and interesting to see how it all changed over the centuries. This is where Princess Diana is buried at her families ancestral home.
March 29, 2016
Charles Spencer, brother to the late Princess Diana, tells the story of his ancestoral home.
February 23, 2016
I read the Kindle version of this book. The content was very good with a few transcript errors but it lacked the photos which I think would have enhanced it no end.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews