WorldMAY 28, 2025

Princess Diana’s Iconic Althorp House Set On Fire In Arson Attack

A farmhouse at Princess Diana’s former country estate has been destroyed in an arson attack, her brother Earl Spencer claimed.

Firefighters rushed last night to the scene of a blaze at one of the farmhouses on Althorp Estate, which houses the Grade I-listed stately home where the late Princess of Wales used to live.

The Earl shared photos of the fire on social media and said he was “stunned” to learn that the house “was apparently burnt down by vandals last night”.

Highlights

A late 18th century farmhouse on Princess Diana’s Althorp Estate was destroyed in an arson attack overnight.
Earl Spencer expressed sadness and shock over the vandalism targeting the family’s historic property.
Officials have not classified the fire as a crime yet but investigations continue to determine if it was deliberate.

He said the building was unoccupied at the time and wrote: “So very sad that anyone would think this a fun thing to do.”

Firestarters have launched an arson attack on a farmhouse at Princess Diana's Althorp Estate, her brother said

Image credits: Russ Quinlan / Flickr

As per the BBC, the large fire started at the late 18th century Dallington Grange farmhouse on Mill Lane, in Kingsthorpe, at around 1:30am on Wednesday (May 28).

A spokesman from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue service said they arrived to find the two-story property “fully on fire.”

Northamptonshire Police said the incident had "not been recorded as a crime at present, but this could change if there is evidence to indicate it was started deliberately”.

Image credits: cspencer1508 / X

Firefighters reportedly used hose-reel jets to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further.

“One crew remained on the scene into this afternoon with a water bowser to continue dampening down any remaining hotspots, and then returned to their station shortly before 1pm,” stated the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The home has been in the Spencer family for more than 500 years. It is part of a 13,000 acre estate that has been owned by Lord Charles Spencer since 1992.

Lady Di lived in the Grade I-listed property from the time her parents divorced in 1969 to her marriage to King Charles in 1981

Image credits: cspencer1508 / X

Image credits: AdeysAlthorp / X

Lady Di, the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, lived in the Grade I-listed property from the time her parents John Spencer and Frances Shand Kydd divorced in 1969 to her marriage to King Charles in 1981.

The estate was also the location where Diana and Charles first met.

Northamptonshire Police are investigating the case

Image credits: cspencer1508 / X

Adey Greeno, the estate’s long-standing head gamekeeper, provided more details about the fire. He said: “The farmhouse that we lost to a deliberate act of vandalism last night has now had to be razed to the ground for safety reasons.

“So sad. The world we live in.”

The estate’s long-standing head gamekeeper said the farmhouse "had to be razed to the ground for safety reasons"

Image credits: AdeysAlthorp / X

David Fawkes, chief executive of the Althorp Estate, said: "The house and farm buildings have been unoccupied for several years and the site is scheduled for redevelopment as part of the Dallington Grange development.

"The farmhouse was built in the late 18th Century, and it has been completely destroyed by the fire, but the surrounding outbuildings are undamaged. Our priority is to secure the site and make sure it is safe.

"We are very grateful to Northampton Fire and Rescue Service and the estate team for dealing with the fire so effectively. We don't know how the fire started."

A spokesperson for the Althorp Estate stated that no one was injured in the fire and noted that there had been "longstanding problems with illegal access and vandalism" at the property.

Diana was buried on a small island in an ornamental lake, known as The Oval, within the country estate

Image credits: Queensland State Archives / Flickr

Diana princess tragically passed aged 36 following a car crash in Paris in 1997.

A former Althorp cook, Betty Andrews, told the BBC in 1997 that her time in the country estate "was probably the happiest time of her life."

Althorp House is the home where the late princess would famously practice her tap dancing.

Diana was buried on a small island in an ornamental lake, known as The Oval, within the grounds of the country estate.

In his book Althorp: The Story of an English House, Earl Spencer revealed the family’s decision to bury his sister on The Oval, writing, “We all agreed that, with its beauty and tranquility, this was the place for Diana to be.”

Diana's gravesite is not accessible to the public, but Althorp is home to a memorial known as the "Temple," which has been visited by approximately 150,000 people annually since it opened in 1998.