An Edinburgh University graduate is inheriting Princess Diana’s childhood home

Louis Spencer, Edinburgh University graduate and nephew to Diana, Princess of Wales, is set to inherit her childhood home and final resting place, Althorp Estate.

The 29-year-old Viscount spent his childhood in South Africa, where he was raised by his mother following her split from his father, 9th Earl Spencer, before moving to Scotland where he enrolled at the University of Edinburgh.

Despite having three older sisters, the Viscount will inherit Althorp Estate due to the aristocratic system of primogeniture, favouring the eldest son in lines of succession.

Since his return to the UK, Louis has quickly grabbed the attention of the public eye, being named on of “Britain’s most eligible bachelor” by Tatler in 2019.

The young aristocrat currently works as an actor under the alias Louis John Lyons, signed with Tavistock Wood Performing Arts Agency, after graduating from the University of Edinburgh and ArtsEd drama school in London with a first-class honours.

Kitty Spencer, Louis’ older sister said in an interview: “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 age old estate opens to visitors seasonally, where the public can visit the estate, Althorp House, and the site of Diana’s final resting place, a small tree-covered island known as the Oval Lake Grave.

Louis’ father Earl Spencer reaffirmed the importance of tradition to family, stating: “If I chose Kitty it would be against all the tradition that goes with Althorp. It’s just the way it is. I get the problems with it as a concept.

“I also get the strengths of it having worked to date. It is still intact. If you go around the chateaux of the Loire or whatever, they are empty.

“Everything gets split equally through the generations and you end up with a beautiful building with one nice tapestry in it. The whole idea of primogeniture was to keep it together.”

Featured image by: Zuma/Shutterstock

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