Earl Spencer, Family, Althorp Museum & Travelling Exhibition

[HRH Kimetha]

I really don't care for Charles Spencer. I think he envied Diana because of the position she married into making her a Princess, which usurped his position as an Earl. His nephews also outranked him and his own children. I think Charles Spencer had an ego that is his own undoing. By refusing Diana the use of the house on the Estate, he was then "usurping" her with the only power he had over his sister. Again, his ego and "pidly" position (compared to Diana's) was his own undoing and he will continue to have a troubled and unstable life.

[GlitteringTiaras]

Originally Posted by sherylal24

Charles Spencer is exactly like his father Johnnie Spencer in how he treats women. Johnnie Spencer was said to be a bully and a brute to his wives and that is why Diana's mother left him. Raine Spencer his second wife wasn't treated that much better but after he had his stroke, she took care of him until his death. Sounds like good ole Charlie is a clone of his father in looks and temprament.

I concur the guy is a complete trainwreck, but at least he's an entertaining trainwreak... thus fun to watch him self-destruct.

In the meantime, I take it he's still dating that American lady, Colleen Sullivan? Wonder how that relationship will turn out if they are still together.

[theprincess]

''Slimy Spencer with new beauty''
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006600500,00.html

[georgiea]

The last article posted - is it really acturate?

Earl Spencer is not in his fifties. He is younger than Diana.
Diana this year would have turned 46 I think.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by georgiea

The last article posted - is it really acturate?
Earl Spencer is not in his fifties. He is younger than Diana.

Earl Spencer was born on 20 May 1964, so he is 42.
With a London tabloid now calling him "Slimy Spencer" he appears to be losing much of the gravitas he acquired at the time of his sister's death and funeral.

[Skydragon]

The gravitas he acquired from some people after his little outburst, was very fleeting. Many people couldn't understand how he could have chosen such an event to have a temper tantrum.

It was a bit like the newspapers, trying to point the finger at anyone, rather than accept his own bad behavior towards his sister.

[Lily97]

No where to be seen Sassie. He never defended Diana when she was alive. As I recall, the one time she did try to lean on him and wanted to live on the estate he changed his mind. What a kind brother he was!

Lily

[sassie]

Well, to be fair, Ken Wharfe did state in his book that Spencer changed his mind about letting Diana have the Garden House on the Althorp grounds after Wharfe had inspected it and told him it wasn't practical for security reasons. Spencer offered Diana several alternatives that would have worked better, including the Pheasantry, another house on the estate, but she turned him down. Spencer didn't change his mind out of mean spiritedness-that was Paul Burrell's slant on the issue-and it's no secret that Burrell has his own axe to grind where the Spencers are concerned.

But, we also never heard Spencer speak in defense of his sister during her lifetime. If the Royal Family's treatment of Diana bothered him so deeply, he sure kept quiet about it. If he was concerned with his sister's battle with bulimia, he kept that a big secret as well.

It was cruel and insensitive of him to deliver the remarks against the Queen and the Royal Family with Diana's sons sitting there, forced to listen, on the day they were burying their beloved mother far sooner than they should have. Spencer spoke of Diana's family 'protecting' the boys-well, where was his 'protection' then?

[princess olga]

but if I remember correctly he was quoted openly in that 1992 bombshell book in which it was revealed how the RF <really> treated Diana, what with Charles and Camilla, etc. I rmember him being quoted in that book to defend his sister if I'm not mistaken.

What I find weird though but this is perhaps for another thread, is how Spencer's royal nephews managed to snub HIM and the entire Spencer family after their mother's untimely death! Even their grandmother, they hardly visited her in her last years according to the media. Why oh why do William and Harry snub their mother's family?

[sassie]

Originally Posted by princess olga

but if I remember correctly he was quoted openly in that 1992 bombshell book in which it was revealed how the RF <really> treated Diana, what with Charles and Camilla, etc. I rmember him being quoted in that book to defend his sister if I'm not mistaken.

If you are speaking of the Morton book, I beg to differ. Spencer is quoted a few times about their childhood and the Spencer family, but there are no quotes or opinions attributed to him that address the Royal Family, the state of his sister's marriage, her bulimia, her children, his brother in law's infidelity, etc. Several other people offered opinions and viewpoints to Morton about those things, but Spencer did not, nor did he speak in his sister's defense.

[sassie]

Originally Posted by princess olga

but the fact he was quoted in that book at all, that I took as an endorsement of him to his sister's decision not taking the situation lying down any more. I took it as some form of defending her.

Well, that's your interpretation-but I respectfully say that it is not mine. The majority of quotes from Spencer in the book were old ones that Morton lifted from other sources. There's no evidence that he ever came to her aid during the height of her bulimia or the troubles in her marriage. Before her death, Spencer never spoke out to defend his sister on any of the points he made against the Queen and the Royal Family in his eulogy, and the fact that he chose then to do so, in the presence of her sons, in hardly commendable. JMO.

[Elspeth]

Well, when you say "according to the media," you may have answered your own question at least to an extent. If the media can create controversy or stir up emotions, they're likely to sell more copies of whatever they're producing. Frances Shand Kydd wasn't in good health for several years before she died, and it does sound from her biography as though she saw her Windsor grandchildren sometimes, even if not very often. We don't know how often she saw her other grandchildren, for that matter. And as far as the Earl is concerned, he was living in South Africa for some of the time and he'd pretty much declared war on the royal family with that speech at Diana's funeral, so William and Harry might have been a bit wary about getting too close.

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by Elspeth

Well, when you say "according to the media," you may have answered your own question at least to an extent. If the media can create controversy or stir up emotions, they're likely to sell more copies of whatever they're producing. Frances Shand Kydd wasn't in good health for several years before she died, and it does sound from her biography as though she saw her Windsor grandchildren sometimes, even if not very often. We don't know how often she saw her other grandchildren, for that matter. And as far as the Earl is concerned, he was living in South Africa for some of the time and he'd pretty much declared war on the royal family with that speech at Diana's funeral, so William and Harry might have been a bit wary about getting too close.

Good point, we don't really know whether or not they remained close! I should probably stop reading things like the 'Daily Mail', . OTOH it is known they've been invited to a few vacations with Jane and Sarah's families, that they declined, but that may well be because both boys don't exactly have eons of free time I take it. I don't know, also from what Spencer himself has stated publicly, I don't get the impression of the two princes being close with Diana's siblings. may also have to do with the fact that Diana, in her last days, wasn't exactly close to her mother and brother for example..

Originally Posted by sassie

If you are speaking of the Morton book, I beg to differ. Spencer is quoted a few times about their childhood and the Spencer family, but there are no quotes or opinions attributed to him that address the Royal Family, the state of his sister's marriage, her bulimia, her children, his brother in law's infidelity, etc. Several other people offered opinions and viewpoints to Morton about those things, but Spencer did not, nor did he speak in his sister's defense.

but the fact he was quoted in that book at all, that I took as an endorsement of him to his sister's decision not taking the situation lying down any more. I took it as some form of defending her.

[Duchess]

not that i condone spencer's outburst at the funeral...i agree it wasn't the time or place for something like that...but let me put this out there and get your thoughts:

perhaps he didn't publicly defend diana but might have in private? i'm thinking that if he had said anything publicly it might have made things more difficult for her. any thoughts??

[sassie]

Diana made her own path difficult-he couldn't have made it any worse after the Morton book.
I doubt that he offered her much support privately. By his own admission, he was not close to Diana..and Earl Spencer doesn't seem to be a man endowed with much sensitivity.

[Lily97]

Perhaps Duchess, correct me if I am wrong but did any of Diana's family defend her when she was alive?

Lily

[Skydragon]

Diana had fallen out with her mother and had a troubled relationship with her sisters at the time of her death and throughout her marriage.

[sirhon11234]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

Diana had fallen out with her mother and had a troubled relationship with her sisters at the time of her death and throughout her marriage.

I know Diana wasn't on the best of terms with Jane before her death. But I thought Diana and Sarah were really close. Wasn't Sarah Diana's lady-in-waiting at one time.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by sirhon11234

I know Diana wasn't on the best of terms with Jane before her death. But I thought Diana and Sarah were really close. Wasn't Sarah Diana's lady-in-waiting at one time.

She was closer to Sarah, but as with the rest of the family, there were constant fallings out, IB.

[susan alicia]

How well has Diana been served by her sister? | the Daily Mail

Originally Posted by Skydragon

She was closer to Sarah, but as with the rest of the family, there were constant fallings out, IB.