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    Little Book of Diana
    Little Book of Diana
    Little Book of Diana
    Ebook107 pages50 minutes

    Little Book of Diana

    By Clare Welch

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    About this ebook

    The Little Book of Diana shows the warm and human side to the world's most famous woman. Hers should have been a long and golden life filled with riches and acclaim when she married the most eligible of bachelors - Charles, the Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherG2 Rights
    Release dateAug 20, 2013
    ISBN9781908461551
    Little Book of Diana

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      Book preview

      Little Book of Diana - Clare Welch

      Introduction

      Perhaps never before, and never again, has one life touched the hearts of so many, been the subject of much gossip and speculation – even in death – and been so loved, adored and cherished by a nation. Yet, this is exactly what the late Diana, Princess of Wales, achieved in her extraordinary, short-lived life. It has been 10 years (31 August 1997) since that fateful night when the Princess, trying to escape the glare of the cameras, climbed into a car from the back entrance to the Ritz Hotel in Paris. The car, chased by the paparazzi, crashed and the death of the Princess shook the world.

      Even before Lady Diana Spencer married the Prince of Wales in 1981 the whole nation was infatuated with her. Who was she? What was she like? What was she wearing? And, what did she have to say? From the moment that the press knew that the Prince might have a serious relationship that could see the heir to the throne marry in his thirties, Diana was surrounded by intrigue and newspaper articles with everyone wanting to know everything there possibly was to know about her. It was as if she became royal and public property all at the same time and there was little help to guide this young, shy and sensitive woman into the new high-profile life that awaited her.

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      *Diana, Princess of Wales.

      As a young woman, Diana was blossoming and beautiful. But, the formal life into which she had been born and the restricted lifestyle to which she was accustomed were about to cocoon her. When her marriage was finally over and the restrictions gone Diana came into her own. Her beauty grew, her self-esteem flourished and her charitable work was quite simply outstanding, compelling and moving. Her gift for relating to everyone made her an instant hit with all whom she met and, despite those who were critical of her, Diana was an incredible woman and mother whose unconditional love reached millions. Even certain First Ladies and Hollywood legends fade in significance against the iconic Diana, Princess of Wales.

      Chapter 1: Althorp and the Spencer Family

      The estate of Althorp began its journey into the history books in 1508 and has been the ancestral home of the Spencer family since that time. It covers 14,000 acres which include villages, woodlands, farmland and cottages across the Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Norfolk landscape. The estate is managed from Althorp itself by an experienced team who work in farming, property management, events and marketing, gamekeeping, gardening, housekeeping, forestry and other areas. The aim of the estate today is to carry out good land management practices which include conservation and maintaining the rural environment while combining this with commercial based activities all of which contribute to the local economy.

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      *The first Earl, John Spencer.

      But, it all began in farming in 1486, with John Spencer, who was tenant at Althorp, and his nephew John, through livestock trading. The Spencer family were sheep farmers and nephew, John Spencer, eventually bought both Althorp and Wormleighton Hall, setting the scene for a family that were to come to prominence historically and politically, and who were destined to become an important part of British nobility. In later generations, marriage led the family into the peerage while sound business practices amassed a fortune and Robert Spencer (1570– 1627) became the first Lord Spencer. With an income of around £8,000 per annum, Lord Spencer became one of the richest men in the United Kingdom and travelled to court with James I in 1603. The Spencer family, when Lord Spencer was ennobled, like many other noble families, then found themselves in public service. The family flourished and with foresight, intellect and hard work became one of the most established and high-profile families in the country. Robert’s son William – the second Lord Spencer – built a racecourse at Althorp, while his own son, Henry, an Oxford graduate, fought in the Civil War where he was fatally wounded. Henry’s marriage to the daughter of the Earl of Southampton resulted in his own son Robert, who was a notorious politician, becoming the second Earl of Sunderland.

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      *The main staircase at Althorp in 1822.

      Family members came and went

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