Prince Harry and Prince William Won't Inherit Late Mom Princess Diana's Childhood Home–Here's Who Will
Althorp House won't be handed down to Diana's two sons.


Princess Diana grew up on the Althorp Estate, which is also her final resting place. Diana is buried on Oval Island in the middle of Oval Lake, a remote spot on the historic estate. Despite being an incredibly important property for both Prince Harry and Prince William, the royal brothers won't inherit their mother's ancestral home.
During a recent visit to the U.K., Prince Harry stayed at Althorp House with his uncle, Charles Spencer. Even though the Duke of Sussex has remained close to Diana's family, he's not in line to inherit the place she grew up. As reported by the Express, the Althorp Estate has been "the ancestral seat of the Spencer family for more than five centuries." As a result, the expansive property and its land will be handed down to Charles Spencer's son, Louis, Viscount Althorp.
Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp and his mother, Victoria Aitken.
Louis, Viscount Althorp is the youngest child of Charles Spencer and his first wife, Victoria Aitken. Louis has three older sisters—Lady Kitty, Lady Amelia, and Lady Eliza—but an antiquated policy means that Althorp passes to the first male heir. When Charles Spencer dies, Louis will inherit Althorp, and become the 10th Earl Spencer.
Louis, Viscount Althorp keeps an extremely low profile, despite being from such a prestigious family. A so-called "insider" told The Telegraph, "He's super private and gets on quietly with his thing. He's a very talented actor and, I think, will be a brilliant one. You'd like him. He's very low-key and genuine, decent and kind and tall."
Louis, Viscount Althorp will inherit the Althorp Estate when his father dies.
Even though William and Harry will never own Althorp, it's likely they will always have access to the private island on which their late mother is buried. Charles Spencer wrote about the remote location in his book, Althorp: The Story of an English House, explaining (via Tatler), "Its remoteness is entirely intentional... [The lake is] a buffer against the interventions of the insane and ghoulish, the thick mud presenting a further line of defence."
Diana's brother has also made it clear that he wanted his sister's final resting place to be somewhere her two sons could visit in privacy. "I think it's very important for them to be there with her," he told People. "It is, luckily, very tranquil here and they can come and go as they wish whenever they want. And that's very lovely for me to know that."
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.
-
Sofia Richie Grainge Styles Zebra Pants With Flip-Flops
Next stop on the tour: her elegant wedding venue in the South of France.
-
Gigi Hadid Pairs Metallic Track Pants and Mesh Flats
The controversial shoe trend is most definitely gaining steam.
-
Body Language Expert Says Kate Can't "Mask Her Emotions"
"We also saw William...mirroring the same emotions as Kate."
-
Body Language Expert Reveals Kate Middleton Can't "Mask Her Emotions" at Trooping the Colour 2025
"We also saw William...mirroring the same emotions as Kate."
-
Kate Middleton's Trooping the Colour Outfit Features a Special Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Catherine made sure the late monarch's presence was felt at the prestigious event.
-
Kate Middleton Channels Princess Diana in a Catherine Walker Coat Dress at Trooping the Colour 2025
The Princess of Wales even wore the same designer as her late mother-in-law.
-
This Vintage Clip of Kate Middleton Apologizing to Prince William After Beating Him in a Boat Race Is Going Viral on TikTok
"We were sabotaged," Will joked after Kate beat him not once, but twice.
-
The "Cheeky" Joke Prince William Made Referencing a Former Queen at Formal Windsor Castle Event
The Prince of Wales was speaking to 'Bad Sisters' star Anne-Marie Duff at the time.
-
How Prince George and Prince William's "Shared Passion" Made a Windsor Castle Event "Extra Special" for One Attendee
The father and son duo have made quite the impact.
-
Body Language Expert Reveals Queen Elizabeth "Truly Embraced" Meghan Markle During Rare Joint Appearance as a "Double Act" in 2018
"The fact that the two of them were appearing together...was quite unique."
-
Princess Diana's "Favorite" Royal Photographer Says There's One Photo He "Regrets" Taking of Her
"They didn't see me as I was hiding in the bushes."