Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual assault and child abuse that some readers may find distressing.
Princess Diana ‘s brother Charles Earl Spencer took fans down memory lane when he posted a nostalgic childhood picture on his Instagram. He shared a rare family photo this past April showcasing himself and Diana in their elementary school uniforms. The 9th Earl Spencer revealed the picture amid the release of his new memoir, A Very Private School . Both of the siblings are captured wearing matching red blazers. Charles captioned the post: “My first day of school, in September 1968: my father took this photograph of me and my sister, Diana, just before he drove us to Silfield, a really lovely primary school in King’s Lynn, Norfolk.”
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Diana, who was seven at the time, accessorized her uniform with a straw boater, while Charles, who was four back then, is wearing a cap. Both of them can also be seen sporting grey knee socks. “The headmistress was Miss Jean Lowe, a warm and thoughtful lady who loved her boys and girls. I was there till 1972 when I headed off to the place I call – in my memoir – A Very Private School,” he added.
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Fans got emotional and commented on the post expressing their admiration for the late Princess of Wales. “The uniform is timeless. Still looks the part,” a fan praised. “Oh I miss Diana,” a netizen wrote emotionally. “Princess Diana is looking angelic,” another person quipped. “What a lovely picture and happy memories there,” agreed another fan. “You both look so happy together. This is a precious photograph for so many reasons. Thank you for sharing it,” remarked a grateful fan.
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In March 2024, BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg interviewed Spencer about his new memoir; according to the Daily Mail , Charles shared unknown details about Diana and himself during their interview. He revealed that Princess Diana told her father, “If you loved me, you wouldn’t leave me here,” when she was packed away to boarding school . Charles confessed that it was ‘so incredibly impactful’ seeing his elder sister express her feelings that “he was so proud of her for saying that.” After her mother, Frances Roche, left her father, John Spencer, for billionaire Peter Shand-Kydd, Diana was sent to Riddlesworth Hall in Norfolk when she was nine years old.
After graduating from Riddlesworth Hall in 1973, she enrolled at Sevenoaks’ West Heath Girl’s School the following year. Charles also admitted his disdain about residential schools during the interview: “Personally, any child under 13, I don’t think they should be sent away. They can’t understand what is going on.” It was related to the horrifying revelations he described in his book regarding the physical and sexual abuse he endured as a child while attending the 1970s Maidwell Hall boarding school in Northamptonshire.
As per People , despite having a close relationship with Diana, the 9th Earl Spencer claimed that she wasn’t aware of the suffering he endured in Maidwell’s halls. “I don’t remember us ever really discussing what we were going through. She went to a very gentle place, I believe,” he said while adding, “We would reconnect for the school holidays, and I don’t remember ever talking about it with her.”
If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673).
If you know of any children who are being subjected to abuse, please contact The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 422-4453.
