SOnly the closest relatives have so far had the privilege of visiting the islet in person Round Oval of the lake Althorp Housethe grandiose aristocratic residence located in the English county of Nothamptonshire, where Lady Diana spent her youth and where her remains now rest.
The thousands of visitors who go on a pilgrimage every summer to pay homage to the princess are not, in fact, allowed to set foot on the islet. But Karen Spencer, the wife of Earl Charles, Diana’s younger brother, wanted to remember him with a series of images steeped in mysticism posted on social media.
The islet where Lady Diana rests in Karen Spencer’s photos
The wife of Earl Charles Spencer, Diana’s younger brother, made it her mission to show the world those secret or little-known places in Althorp, a mansion that boasts 90 rooms and over 13 thousand acres of land. And he moved fans of the princess with a series of new images of the Round Ovaltaken during a walk at dawn, in a suggestive atmosphere, with almost spiritual tones, which prompted Karen herself to comment: «The Round Oval seems almost magical in the light morning mist».
Lady Diana’s return to Althorp
A Diana who was still a teenager had met Prince Charles in one of the halls of Althorp, at the end of the seventies. The residence has belonged to the Spencer family since 1508 and, after the tragic car accident that killed the princess in August 1997, it was her brother Charles, the ninth Earl Spencer, who wanted his sister’s remains in Althorp. To protect her at all costs, he chose a small island in the middle of the estate’s lake as Lady D.’s final resting place.
The Round Oval cannot be visited
Today only Diana’s children, William and Harry can visit the islet on the occasion of the most important anniversaries and in absolute privacy. Visitors to Althorp must, however, be content to pay homage to the princess from afar, in a memorial temple built nearby.
Princess Diana at Althorp with a very young William (Getty Images)
Althorp House for rent, for those who can afford it
Those lucky ones who now have the chance to expect the same even rent part of the Althorp residence, complete with butler, valets and starred chefs, at exorbitant prices never made public. During their stay they will be able to use the entire estate, but the Round Oval of Lady Diana remains off limits. Access is also prohibited for them.
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