Princess Diana‘s family is grappling with a terrifying situation. Her younger brother, Charles Spencer, has confirmed that their family’s estate, Althorp House, was the target of a suspected arson attack, and one of the buildings on the property where Diana grew up was set on fire on May 27.
Charles shared the news in a post on his Instagram Stories the following day. Though the post has since expired, People reported that Charles posted a photo of the building on fire, taken from a safe distance.
“Luckily unoccupied at the time – but still deeply disturbing that one of our farmhouses was torched by vandals last night,” he wrote. “Sincere thanks to @northantsfire for trying to save it,”
He also shared the same photo, along with a picture taken of the fire smoldering after the sun had come up, in a post on X.
Stunned to learn that one of @AlthorpHouse’s farmhouses – fortunately, unoccupied at the time – was apparently burnt down by vandals last night. With thanks to @northantsfire for doing their very best.
— Charles Spencer (@cspencer1508) May 28, 2025
So very sad that anyone would think this a fun thing to do. pic.twitter.com/lYyvkzJLnA
“Stunned to learn that one of @AlthorpHouse’s farmhouses –fortunately, unoccupied at the time – was apparently burnt down by vandals last night,” he wrote at the time. “With thanks to @northantsfire for doing their very best. So very sad that anyone would think this a fun thing to do.”
In a statement to People, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the fire was “at land on the Althorp estate in Mill Lane, Kingsthorpe, Northampton,” instead of at Althorp House itself. They were called to the property around 1:30 a.m. on May 28, and when they arrived, the crews discovered a “derelict two-story property fully on fire.”
“At the height of the fire, four crews from across the Service wearing breathing apparatus used hose-reel jets to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further,” the statement continued, adding that one crew member stayed back “with a water bowser to continue dampening down any remaining hotspots, and then returned to their station shortly before 1 p.m.”
Police are treating the fire as an arson and have asked to hear from witnesses who may have information that could assist them in their investigation.
Not only is Althorp House considered an historic estate, but it’s also where Princess Diana was buried after her death in August 1997.
“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 CEO of Althorp House, David Horton-Fawkes, shared in a statement via People. “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.”
