Diana Princess of Wales

How Much Are The Spencer Family Worth (Princess Diana)?

Did Princess Diana come from a wealthy background? Why is their mansion so HUGE? Are the Spencers billionaires and how did they acquire their wealth?

Public Comments

1. Net worth -- could not find much that was truly authoritative but......here's a snippet The earl takes an equally modern--and practical--approach to his noble heritage. He's worth more than $100 million, but most of the fortune is tied up in land and antiques. He needs cash flow to maintain his 121-room mansion and 13,000-acre estate, and he's been savvy about finding it. A few years ago, he raised $336,000 by auctioning four of his lesser titles, including Lord of Wimbledon. The titles were purely symbolic--they carry no land and no seat in the House of Lords--but the sale nonetheless horrified traditionalists. He has hocked heirlooms to pay taxes, rented his mansion out for conferences and banquets, proposed turning 500 wooded acres of his estate into a housing development, and leased the grounds for concerts. http://slate.msn.com/id/1831/ Family History: Earl Spencer is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created on 1 November 1765, along with the title Viscount Althorp, of Althorp in the County of Northamptonshire, for John Spencer, 1st Viscount Spencer, a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. He had been created Viscount Spencer, of Althorp in the County of Northamptonshire and Baron Spencer of Althorp, of Althorp in the County of Northamptonshire, on 3 April 1761. The courtesy title of the eldest son and heir of the Earl Spencer is Viscount Althorp. The family seat is Althorp in Northamptonshire. Althorp House,is a wonderful mansion house set in extensive grounds that are the very essence of typical English countryside. Althorp House has been home to the Spencer family for 500 years. In 1508 Sir John Spencer acquired a 300-acre estate and his grandson made it the principal Spencer family home. From the Spenser's own website...... The Spencers have been farmers since pre-Tudor times, coming to prominence in Warwickshire in the fifteenth century. John Spencer became feoffee of Wormleighton in 1469, and a tenant at Althorp in 1486. His nephew another John, through trade in livestock and commodities, then bought both properties outright, was knighted, and so lay the bedrock for the family's fortune. His descendants expanded the holdings through business dealings and marriage into the peerage. However, not until Robert, First Lord Spencer (1570-1627) does a fully-rounded character emerge from history. Thanks in part to the steady accumulation of his forebears he became one of the richest men in the land. He owned almost 20,000 sheep, and with sales of meat, breeding stock and wool, his income was about £8,000 per annum. As a man of standing, he met James I as the royal court travelled down from Scotland in 1603, accompanying it on to London. Meanwhile James' wife was entertained at Althorp, then a secondary residence, with a masque by Ben Jonson. Robert was soon ennobled; and like many Spencers afterwards, almost in spite of himself he suddenly found himself in public service. King James I sent him as ambassador to Wurtemburg to present Duke Frederick with the Order of the Garter. Although his skill in antiquities, arms and alliances was singular, Robert appears to have found the expedition more chore than cultural enrichment. Though politically active he soon fades from view. More information is on the site The family estate includes significant land holdings in other parts of the country, including the village of North Creake in Norfolk. Of course - Diana, Princess of Wales, was the youngest daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer.
2. Here is the blurb in the Sunday Times "Rich List" and the results for The Queen for comparison. Both the Earl of Spencer and the Queen have the same net worth that they did last year, but both of them have slipped in ranking as other people have gotten richer. ================ RESULTS FOR 2008 Ranking: 723 Worth: £111m Source of wealth: Land Spencer, 43, has a controversial £40m plan dubbed “Dianaville” by locals to build 2,500 homes near his sister Princess Diana’s grave at Althorp. His father, who died in 1992, left £88m in his will, but much of that was tied up in the 8,500-acre Althorp estate and its art treasures. There is other wealth. RESULTS FOR 2007 Ranking: 625= Worth: £111m Source of wealth: Land ========================= RESULTS FOR 2008 Ranking: 264 Worth: £320m Source of wealth: Head of state The Queen knows, like the rest of the country, what stock market turmoil can do to one’s assets. Her personal investment portfolio is down about £20m to £100m this year, and a lavish diamond anniversary party at the Ritz for her and the Duke of Edinburgh was cancelled because she felt it would be inappropriate at a time of economic uncertainty. In the first Rich List in 1989, the Queen was No 1 at £5.2 billion. That value included the royal art collection, which it is now accepted she looks after on behalf of the nation. Her personal fortune lags far behind that of her son, according to the property magazine Estates Gazette, which valued the Prince of Wales at £608m. As with the Queen and the royal collection, however, he is only steward of the Duchy of Cornwall and its vast land holdings, so there is no place for him in our Rich List. Rising land and stately home prices have added £20m to the Queen’s personal property portfolio this year, including Balmoral and smaller houses, taking this element of her wealth to £120m. Her personal art is valued at £2m, in contrast to the royal collection which is worth about £10 billion. Adding jewels, the royal stamp collection, horses and the Queen Mother’s legacy keeps the Queen at £320m. Things would, perhaps, have been different if George III had not surrendered control of the crown estate in 1760. It is worth more than £7 billion and made more than £200m profit in 2006-07 for the Treasury. The Queen, in turn, cost taxpayers £37.3m, 0.03% down on the previous year. RESULTS FOR 2007 Ranking: 229= Worth: £320m Source of wealth: Head of state