«Harry and Count Spencer: Close Relationships and Family Secrets»
3 august 2026 в 13:50
For many years, it has been evident that Prince Harry maintains a close relationship with his uncle Charles Spencer, the Earl Spencer. This is quite understandable, as Harry is his mother’s son, possessing a more Spencer-like temperament and charisma. The Spencers have provided Harry with a safe space and warm embrace, having witnessed him being a «spare» member of the family for a long time. Shortly after the Duchess of Sussex’s Instagram confirmed the family’s stay at Althorp this month, the Daily Mail published an intriguing article commenting on the long-standing conflict between the Spencers and the Windsors and how the Windsors are troubled by Harry’s continued closeness to the Earl Spencer. The article was later removed from the Mail Online website. Amusingly, I now wonder if Richard Eden’s latest column in the Mail will also be deleted or edited, as he too focused on the Spencers.
Addressing his sister’s coffin at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997, the Earl Spencer spoke of his nephews, Princes William and Harry: «On behalf of your mother and sisters, I vow that we, your blood family, will do everything in our power to continue the creative path that you have guided these two exceptional young men on, so that their souls are not consumed solely by duty and tradition, but can sing freely, as you intended».
The powerful and provocative speech by the Earl Spencer moved the crowd gathered at Westminster Abbey so much that their spontaneous applause soon turned into applause inside the building. Martin Nery, the Abbey’s music director, later commented on Lord Spencer’s speech: «I felt great sympathy for what Diana had gone through, but at the same time, I was shocked by some of the things that were said». Speaking of William and Harry, he added: «The princes did indeed applaud at the end, although the older members of the royal family did not».
Nearly three decades after the car accident in Paris that claimed Diana’s life, Lord Spencer remains close to at least one of her sons. In fact, his relationship with Harry is warmer than with some of his own children. William seems to keep his distance from the historian Lord Spencer, who was not present at the weddings of his daughters Lady Kitty in 2021 and Lady Amelia two years later.
Nevertheless, he has become something of a father figure to Harry. This became particularly evident during the recent visit of the prince, who resides in California, to Britain, when he spent more time with his uncle than with his own father, King Charles. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie (seven years old) and Princess Lilibet (five years old), visited the king at his retreat in Gloucestershire, Highgrove, for tea. But they stayed at Althorp with the Earl Spencer and his latest Countess, Kat Jarman, his fourth wife.
Harry is so close to his uncle that he even sought his advice about changing his surname to Spencer, as I reported in The Mail on Sunday last year. This move would imply a rejection of the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, which is used in Archie and Lilibet’s passports. «They had a very friendly conversation, and Spencer advised him against taking such a step», - a friend of Harry’s said at the time. This would be particularly painful for the king, who values the Mountbatten name as much as his father did.
Last week, Meghan posted a photo online of Harry and their children in the gardens of Althorp with bouquets of flowers. It was believed that they were heading to lay flowers on Diana’s grave. Meghan’s decision to include this photo in a gallery of 12 images she posted on Instagram, set to the sounds of Cliff Richard and The Shadows' «Summer Holiday», - drew criticism, with some of her followers calling it tasteless and accusing her of «profiting» from Diana’s grave.
However, it was noted that Lord Spencer responded to the criticism of Meghan and Harry. With his consent, his wife, Kat,
Addressing his sister’s coffin at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997, the Earl Spencer spoke of his nephews, Princes William and Harry: «On behalf of your mother and sisters, I vow that we, your blood family, will do everything in our power to continue the creative path that you have guided these two exceptional young men on, so that their souls are not consumed solely by duty and tradition, but can sing freely, as you intended».
The powerful and provocative speech by the Earl Spencer moved the crowd gathered at Westminster Abbey so much that their spontaneous applause soon turned into applause inside the building. Martin Nery, the Abbey’s music director, later commented on Lord Spencer’s speech: «I felt great sympathy for what Diana had gone through, but at the same time, I was shocked by some of the things that were said». Speaking of William and Harry, he added: «The princes did indeed applaud at the end, although the older members of the royal family did not».
Nearly three decades after the car accident in Paris that claimed Diana’s life, Lord Spencer remains close to at least one of her sons. In fact, his relationship with Harry is warmer than with some of his own children. William seems to keep his distance from the historian Lord Spencer, who was not present at the weddings of his daughters Lady Kitty in 2021 and Lady Amelia two years later.
Nevertheless, he has become something of a father figure to Harry. This became particularly evident during the recent visit of the prince, who resides in California, to Britain, when he spent more time with his uncle than with his own father, King Charles. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie (seven years old) and Princess Lilibet (five years old), visited the king at his retreat in Gloucestershire, Highgrove, for tea. But they stayed at Althorp with the Earl Spencer and his latest Countess, Kat Jarman, his fourth wife.
Harry is so close to his uncle that he even sought his advice about changing his surname to Spencer, as I reported in The Mail on Sunday last year. This move would imply a rejection of the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, which is used in Archie and Lilibet’s passports. «They had a very friendly conversation, and Spencer advised him against taking such a step», - a friend of Harry’s said at the time. This would be particularly painful for the king, who values the Mountbatten name as much as his father did.
Last week, Meghan posted a photo online of Harry and their children in the gardens of Althorp with bouquets of flowers. It was believed that they were heading to lay flowers on Diana’s grave. Meghan’s decision to include this photo in a gallery of 12 images she posted on Instagram, set to the sounds of Cliff Richard and The Shadows' «Summer Holiday», - drew criticism, with some of her followers calling it tasteless and accusing her of «profiting» from Diana’s grave.
However, it was noted that Lord Spencer responded to the criticism of Meghan and Harry. With his consent, his wife, Kat,
© Puhova Marina
