Charles Spencer unveils towering Christmas tree at Princess Diana's childhood home
Earl Charles Spencer has decorated his ancestral home, Althorp, with a towering Christmas tree.
Taking to Instagram on Monday, Princess Diana's brother uploaded a striking picture of a festive fir scaling up towards the bannisters of his Saloon room. The tree was a magical masterpiece adorned with glowing fairy lights and gleaming red baubles in varying sizes.
Beneath the tree, a pile of perfectly wrapped presents peeped between the lower branches.
While Charles has kept many of the Saloon's original features, including the hanging paintings, he's transformed the impressive hallway into a cosy living space with large, plush sofas, table lamps, chandeliers and footstools.
In his caption, the author and podcast host wrote: "Happy Christmas to you, from @althorphouse."
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Charles's fans quickly flooded the comments section with messages of praise. One wrote: "I see what you meant about the tree, it's gorgeous. I wish you and your family a very merry Christmas!" while a second penned in: "Wow that's quite the tree!" and a third chimed in: "Happy Christmas! Tree is looking lovely!"
Charles grew up at Althorp with his three sisters, including Princess Diana. He inherited the Grade-II listed property from his father in 1992 aged 27.
The estate, which has been home to the Spencer family for more than 500 years, is also home to Princess Diana's gravesite which is located on the ornamental Oval Lake. There used to be a bridge in place so that visitors could access the island, however, it was later removed for security reasons.
Prince Harry revealed all in his memoir Spare, explaining: "The bridge had been removed, to give my mother privacy, to keep intruders away."
Elsewhere, there is a memorial temple where visitors can leave floral tributes and cards.
There has been great change at Althorp in recent months following Charles and Karen's decision to divorce. The pair, who tied the knot in 2011, announced their split back in June via the Mail On Sunday.
Sharing the "immensely sad" news with the public, the 60-year-old said: "I just want to devote myself to all my children, and to my grandchildren, and I wish Karen every happiness in the future."
In November, Karen spoke candidly about the process of finding a new rental property. In a post shared to Instagram, she wrote: "It hasn't been easy finding a temporary rental that can accommodate seven horses, two sheep, four cats, and a dog - but with the help of some wonderful friends, we've finally found one.
"It's been a challenging time, but also one filled with so much generosity and kindness. No exact move-in date yet, but we're getting close. Now, I'm excited to embark on the next chapter! Lucky and Minty, who featured in this week's newsletter, moved to the new house earlier this week, ahead of the rest of us. They've settled in quickly and seem quite happy in their new space!"
The pair share one daughter together, Lady Charlotte, whom they welcomed in 2012, one year after they tied the knot.
