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British Royals

Earl Spencer refused to allow The Crown to film at Althorp

The Earl Spencer, the younger brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, refused to allow The Crown to film at the family’s estate due to their portrayal of Diana and his view that the show is fictional.

Charles Spencer revealed on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, due to air tomorrow, that he was approached by the production team of The Crown about filming at the family’s home at Althorp in Northamptonshire but that he turned them down.

“There is a bit. Actually, The Crown asked if they could film at Althorp, and I said obviously not. The worry for me is that people see a programme like that, and they forget that it is fiction. They assume, especially foreigners…

“I find Americans tell me they have watched The Crown as if they have taken a history lesson. Well, they haven’t.”

Diana appears for the first time in series four, which premiered on Netflix last weekend. This series focuses on Diana’s relationship and marriage to the Prince of Wales. The Earl Spencer did not say when he was approached by the show regarding filming at Althorp, but since Diana first appeared in the just-released series, it is assumed it was to film scenes for what is airing now.

The Crown filmed at Ragley Hall and made it appear that Charles and Diana first met at Althorp, which is incorrect.

Series four shows Diana battling bulimia and her mental health struggles while being a member of the Royal Family; her affair with James Hewitt also gets air time.

The Earl was also quizzed on the show’s accuracy to which he replied, “It is very hard, there is a lot of conjecture and a lot of invention, isn’t there? You can hang it on fact but the bits in between are not fact.”

He also said it was his duty to protect his older sister: “I feel it is my duty to stand up for her when I can. She left me, for instance, as guardian of her sons etc., so I feel there was a trust passed on.

“And we grew up together, you know if you grow up with somebody they are still that person, it doesn’t matter what happens to them later. So yeah, I feel very passionately that I have a role to honour her memory.”

About author

Brittani is from Tennessee, USA. She is a political scientist and historian after graduating with a degree in the topics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in December 2014. She also holds a master's degree from Northeastern University. She enjoys reading and researching all things regarding the royals of the world. She's been researching, reading, and writing on royalty for over a decade. She became Europe Editor in October 2016, and then Deputy Editor in January 2019, and has been featured on several podcasts, radio shows, news broadcasts and websites including Global News Canada, ABC News Australia, WION India and BBC World News.