Princess Diana's Althorp Estate Has Surprising Heir And It's Neither Prince William Nor Harry
Princess Diana grew up on the Althorp Estate and was laid to rest there, but the property would neither go to Prince Harry nor Prince William, according to a report.
The Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex inherited a bulk of their late mom's $16 million fortune when she passed away in a car crash in Paris in 1997. However, her childhood home, which has been with the Spencer family since 1508, will be handed down to Prince William and Prince Harry's cousin -- Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, the Mirror reported.
Louis is Princess Diana's nephew. He is the son of Earl Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother. He has three older sisters, but the estate will be handed down to him due to the aristocracy's system of primogeniture, where the titles are passed down to the oldest male child in the family.
Louis' older sister, Kitty Spencer, previously opened up about him inheriting the estate. She also admitted that "primogeniture" could be "tricky," but it should not be an issue in their family.
"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," she told Town & Country.
Louis is an actor who graduated from a drama school. However, he has been preparing to inherit the property while pursuing his dream job. He has been attending trustee meetings for years and is ready to take over the estate if necessary.
Their dad, Charles, is confident that he can handle the property. He also admitted that he actually didn't mind who the property would go to among his children.
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"He has been to trustees' meetings when he can. I don't want to burden him," Charles said of Louis before mentioning Kitty possibly inheriting the estate. "It's a lot. I would be totally relaxed about Kitty inheriting it, but...if I chose Kitty, it would be against all the tradition that goes with Althorp."
Prince William and Prince Harry were Princess Diana's primary beneficiaries. She established a "Discretionary Fund" for them, which earned the royal siblings a hundred thousand pounds from accumulated interest. They also inherited her jewels and other material possessions, including her Cartier watch and 12-carat sapphire and diamond engagement ring, which Prince William used when he proposed to his wife, Kate Middleton, per Reader's Digest.
