Althorp

Althorp House - the ancestral home of the Spencer Family	The Chancel in the Spencer family Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin Great Brington, Northamptonshire	The Shrine built across from the Round Oval lake, Diana's consecrated island grave

A Hardback version of Earl Spencers Eulogy for Diana, Princess of Wales Althorp House is situated in Northampton, the Heart of England. Althorp (pronounced 'all trup') is the ancestral home to which Diana's Family moved to upon the death of her grandfather when she was fourteen years old - their family had lived on the same estates in Northamptonshire for 500 years - but in Diana's own words she said that she found it spooky "like an old mans club, full of clocks ticking". It is a house of elegance, with many splendid gigantic paintings displayed in many of nineteen rooms, including the Spencer Families private apartments. The main display area for the splendid and magnificent works of art and many of the family photos is known as the "Saloon". Althorp has been home to the Spencer Family for 500 years and contains a vast fascinating amount of pictures, furniture and ceramics.

Some of the contents of the Exhibitions on display at Althorp There has been a house at Althorp since the beginning of the sixteenth century. Sir John Spencer accquired a 300 acre estate around Althorp in 1508 and his grandson, another Sir John, had made Althorp the principle Spencer home by the time of his death in 1586. Previously, the family had lived primarily at Wormleighton, in Warwick-shire, much of which was destroyed in the English Civil War. The award-winning exhibition is located in six rooms and depicts the life and work of Diana, Princess of Wales. There are audio visual displays in four of the rooms and the exhibits displayed include the famous Bridal Gown, childhood letters, school reports, and details of Diana's work for charity. For more up to date information, visit http://www.althorp.com. To book tickets on-line, visit www.althorp.com/visit

The Shrine reflected at night	A carpet of Flowers brought to Althorp Island days after the funeral to commemorate the life of Diana, Princess of Wales	The Hearse bringing Diana home for the final time and where she will remain

It was Diana's wishes that she was buried should the untoward happen, so that made certain that she was not to spend her final days with the other members of her family - as their ashes are in the crypt in the village church, upon a visit to the church I found out that, due to the lack of space and the smell coming from the crypt, the present Earl - Diana's brother had the bodies of those buried there, exhumed and cremated. Althorp House, www.althorp.com is where the body of Diana, Princess of Wales is laid to rest in a peaceful man-made lake where she often played when younger, called 'the Round Oval' following her tragic death in the early hours of Sunday 31st August 1997 in a Parisian underpass. As soon as this dreadful and shocking news had leaked out, Britain was flooded with grief and over the days that followed, the gates of Kensington Palace, and also the gates of Althorp, both of Diana homes, were literally a sea of flowers, not a space on the ground could be seen, it was a mass of Flower Bouquets, Helium Balloons and written verses from the many people whose lives Diana had touched. For millions of people, even if they did not know Diana - there was a feeling that many people did know her because of the so many humanitarian and caring things that she had done throughout her life.

The portrait of Diana by American Artist Nelson Shanks that hangs in the Saloon at Althorp House. The portrait was kept privately at Kensington Palace but now is in its rightful place - Diana's family home & is displayed among other pictures of the family & their descendants The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales took place on Saturday 6th September 1997, when the whole wide world was in a state of shock and millions had flocked to the capital to pay their last respects to someone that held such a special place in their hearts.

The parish church of St Mary w St John Great Brington	A home made poster made by me dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales, plus my favourite ever photograh on our visit, August 2007	The village of Great Brington, close to Althorp Estate, where Diana used to often visit

The Village of Great Brington is a short walk from Althorp and is where Diana used to visit while growing up. This is also where the parish church of St Mary the Virgin w St John is, and is where nineteen generations of the Spencer family lay at rest. St. Mary's Church is often to be found open from 2pm to 5pm each day, and is well worth a visit, there are no public lavatory facilities in the village.

The village Post Office has recently been put up for sale, www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Post-office-for-sale-after.4845324.jp this is very sad for avid followers of Diana, like me, as this is where she often used to visit, to buy among other things, her ice creams on hot, sunny days and was very well known by the original owners. Among the general purchases that are usually made in the Post Office, there was a section devoted to memorabilia on Diana, many things are not sold at Althorp, things like souvenir pictures, postcards, books, magazines, stamps, and many other items, making a visit to Althorp and Great Brington very worthwhile. Opposite:- Some of Diana's Childhood toys, memorabilia and her Riddlesworth Hall School Uniform, on exhibit at Althorp