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==History== ===Early history=== A hamlet named Althorp existed here in medieval times, believed to have been situated on the southwest side of the park, east of West Lodge. It was first mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 as having a population of ten at the time, and being part of the parish of [[Great Brington|Brington]]. It was officially designated as an "extra parochial district" for centuries under the New Bottle Grove Hundred of Brington,{{sfn|Spencer|Dibdin|1822|p=3}} but by 1874 it was being cited as an independent civil parish.{{Efn|In the ''History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Northamptonshire'', William Whellan was still describing it as an extra parochial district in 1849, but in an 1874 edition, Francis Whellan mentions that it was "now an independent parish".{{sfn|Whellan|1874|p=293}} }} 21 residents were documented in 1327, and in 1377 fifty people were reported to have paid Poll Tax over the age of 14.<ref name="BHO">{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/northants/vol3/pp1-3|title='Althorp', An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County of Northamptonshire, Volume 3: Archaeological sites in North-West Northamptonshire|publisher=English Heritage, accessed via British History Online|pages=1–3|year=1981|access-date=3 April 2014}}</ref> During the 15th century the population of the village diminished, and in 1505 there were no longer any tenants living there. By 1577 most of the land was converted into four substantial sheep pastures.<ref name="BHO"/> In 1469 [[John Spencer (died 1522)|John Spencer]]'s uncle – also named John Spencer – had become [[feoffee]] (feudal lord) of [[Wormleighton Manor|Wormleighton]] in [[Warwickshire]] and a tenant at Althorp in [[Northamptonshire]] in 1486.<!-- WHAT DO WE MEAN BY A TENANT? --> The family's administration of their Northamptonshire and Warwickshire estates gained them admiration<!-- DO WE SIMPLY MEAN PROFITABILITY, OR WERE THEY ADMIRED FOR GOOD WORKS OR SOCIAL POPULARITY OR SOMETHING ELSE? --> and a following throughout England, and their sheep-rearing business earned large profits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/spencer-john-1549-1600|title=Spencer, John (c.1549–1600), of Newnham, Warws. and Althorp, Northants. in ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558–1603''| publisher=Historyofparliamentonline.org|year=1981|access-date=3 April 2014}}</ref><!-- CAN WE QUANTIFY THIS? --> After beginning construction of Wormleighton Manor the previous year with some 60 relatives, John Spencer bought Althorp in 1508 for £800 from the Catesby family.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=18}}{{sfn|The Spectator|1864|p=123}}<!-- WHEN WAS IT FIRST BUILT? --> At the time Spencer was also lord of the manors of [[Fenny Compton]], [[Stoneton]], [[Nobottle]], [[Great Brington]], [[Little Brington]], [[Harlestone]], [[Glassthorpe]], [[Flore, Northamptonshire|Flore]], [[Wicken, Northamptonshire|Wicken]], [[Wyke Hamon]], [[Upper Boddington]], [[Lower Boddington]] and [[Hinton, Northamptonshire|Hinton]], and owned numerous other properties.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=20}} The park took some four years to establish, with 300 acres of grassland, 100 acres of woodland and 40 acres of water.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=18}}<!-- DO WE MEAN FOUR YEARS BEGINNING IN 1508? --> {{multiple image | align = left | image1 = Sir-Robert-Spencer-513x800.jpg | width1 = 135 | alt1 = | caption1 = | image2 = Henryspencer1620.jpg | width2 = 165 | alt2 = | caption2 = | footer = Left: Sir [[Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton]]. Right: [[Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland]] }} When John Spencer died in 1522, he passed the estate to his youngest son, Sir [[William Spencer (Sheriff)|William Spencer]], High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, who held it until his death in 1532. Only a boy at the time of William's death, his son [[John Spencer (died 1586)|John Spencer]] inherited Althorp and held it until his death in 1586, when he passed it to his son, also [[John Spencer (died 1600)|John]], who died in 1600. John's son, [[Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton|Robert]], was created the 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton on 21 July 1603. [[Anne of Denmark]] and [[Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales|Prince Henry]] came to Althorp on 25 June 1603 from [[Dingley, Northamptonshire|Dingley Hall]] on their way to [[Windsor Castle|Windsor]] from Edinburgh.<ref>[[Susan Doran]], ''From Tudor to Stewart: the regime change from Elizabeth I to James I'' (Oxford, 2024), pp. 121–122.</ref> She was welcomed by an [[The Entertainment at Althorp|entertainment]] scripted by [[Ben Jonson]] in which the Fairy [[Queen Mab]] gave her a [[Jewels of Anne of Denmark|jewel]].<ref>[[Gareth Russell (author)|Gareth Russell]], ''Queen James: The Lives and Loves of Britain's First King'' (London: William Collins, 2025), p. 229.</ref><ref>Stephen Orgel, "Marginal Jonson", David Bevington & Peter Holbrook, ''The Politics of the Stuart Court Masque'' (Cambridge, 1998), p. 170: Martin Butler, ''The Stuart Court Masque and Political Culture'' (Cambridge, 2008), p. 79.</ref> [[Lady Anne Clifford]] described the "infinite number of lords of ladies" who came to see the new queen on Sunday. On Monday, she moved on to [[Easton Neston house|Easton Neston]].<ref>Jessica L. Malay, ''Anne Clifford's Autobiographical Writing, 1590-1676'' (Manchester, 2018), pp. 19-20.</ref> [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] is documented to have visited Althorp during his reign. The drawing room was built and the main hall enlarged for the occasion, with £1,300 spent on the banquet, an exorbitant sum for the period, {{Inflation|index=UK|value=1200|start_year=1613|r=-2|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}.{{efn|The feast was extravagant, including 6 barrels of oysters, 140 apricots, over 50 fishes including pike, perch, bream and tench, 14 swans, 40 pheasants, 26 partridges, 39 turkeys, 46 rabbits, 26 pigs, 73 redshanks, 100 quails, 39 dozen larks, 500 wild pigeons and 300 tame pigeons, 26 young herons, 72 gulls, 3,350 eggs, 560 pounds of butter, 14 dozen artichokes, 20 cauliflowers, 2 [[English brewery cask units#Firkin|firkin]]s of cider, 2 [[hogshead]]s of sherry, 1 hogshead of white wine, and 40 hogsheads of beer, and more.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=91}} }} Upon Robert Spencer's death in 1627 Althorp devolved to [[William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton]] who held it until his death in 1636. William's eldest son, [[Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland]], known as The Lord Spencer between 1636 and June 1643, fought in the [[Battle of Edgehill]] in 1642 and was rewarded for his services on 8 June 1643 when the title of [[Earl of Sunderland]] was bestowed upon him, although the title cost him £3,000. He then fought in the [[siege of Gloucester]] in August 1643 and the [[First Battle of Newbury]] on 20 September 1643, where he was killed, aged 23, by a [[Round shot|cannonball]].{{Sfn|Spencer|2000|p=45}} [[File:Althorp in 1677 by John Vosterman.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|Althorp in 1677 by [[Johannes Vorstermans]]]] Following Henry's death, the estate passed to his eldest son [[Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland]], just two years of age at the time. [[Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Cosimo III]] visited Althorp in 1669, documenting it in his ''Travels of Cosmo III. Grand Duke of Tuscany, through England, in 1669''.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=41}}{{sfn|Spencer|Dibdin|1822|p=34}} Robert built the current house in 1688<!-- DID HE DEMOLISH THE EARLIER BUILDING, OR SIMPLY ADD TO IT? --> and made a series of changes to Althorp park.{{Sfn|Jones|1829|p=245}} However, Robert's bad temper and his reputation as a ruthless advocate of [[absolute monarchy]] made him numerous enemies, and he was forced to leave the country and flee to the [[Netherlands]] the same year.<ref name="ODNB2">{{cite ODNB|id=26135|title=Spencer, Robert (1570–1627)|author=W. A. Speck}}</ref><!-- WHAT YEAR DID HE FLEE, 1688? --> He later underwent a political rehabilitation, becoming [[Lord Chamberlain|Lord Chamberlain of the Household]] in April 1697 and [[Lord Justice of Appeal|Lord Justice]] for a short period before retiring from public life in December of that year, after which he lived a secluded life at Althorp until his death in 1702. Robert passed Althorp to his son, [[Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland]], who held it for twenty years. Described by [[John Evelyn]] as "a youth of extraordinary hopes,"{{sfn|Evelyn|1819|p=653}} Charles inherited his father's passion for intrigue and repellent manners,<!-- A PASSION FOR REPELLENT MANNERS? --> and from his early years he had a great love of books, spending his leisure and his wealth in expanding the library at Althorp. Charles's second marriage to [[Anne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland (1683-1716)|Anne Churchill]], daughter of [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough]] and [[Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough]] in 1700 was an important alliance for the Spencers and for his descendants; through it he was introduced to political life, and later the dukedom of Marlborough came to the Spencers. In 1722 he was implicated in what became known as the [[Atterbury Plot]], to restore the [[House of Stuart]], and his death was one of the factors which brought the Plot to light.<ref>{{cite book|title=Recusant History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YIEjAQAAIAAJ| year=2006| publisher=Catholic Record Society.|page=317}}</ref> Althorp was then occupied by his son [[Robert Spencer, 4th Earl of Sunderland]], who died childless in 1729. As a result, his brother, [[Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough|Charles]], became 5th Earl of Sunderland, and subsequently 3rd [[Duke of Marlborough (title)|Duke of Marlborough]] after the death of his aunt, [[Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough|Henrietta Godolphin (''née'' Churchill), 2nd Duchess of Marlborough]]. Charles later [[Raid on St Malo|led the naval descent]] on the French coastal port of [[St Malo]] during the [[Seven Years' War]], after passing Althorp <!-- BUT NOT HIS TITLES? --> to the 3rd Earl's son, [[John Spencer (British politician)|John Spencer]], in January 1733. John Spencer, along with Charles and [[Thomas Coram]], [[William Hogarth]] and others, was involved in the charter of the [[Foundling Hospital]].{{sfn|Nichols|Wray|1935|p=351}} Upon his death in 1746, John passed his estates to his son [[John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer|John]], only 12 years of age at the time, beneficiary to the greatest inheritance in the kingdom at the time with an income of almost £30,000 a year.{{Sfn|Spencer|1998|p=35}}<!-- IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO CLARIFY WHAT HAPPENED WHEN CHARLES, 3RD DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, PASSED ALTHORP TO JOHN SPENCER: WHY DID HE GIVE UP ALTHORP (to his cousin?)? DID CHARLES RETAIN ALL THE OTHER SPENCER ESTATES? OR, HOW WERE THEY DIVIDED? --> ===Social and cultural hub=== {{multiple image | align = right | image1 = Johnspencer.jpg | width1 = 180 | alt1 = | caption1 = | image2 = Thomas Gainsborough Lady Georgiana Cavendish.jpg | width2 = 140 | alt2 = | caption2 = | footer = [[John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer]] and his daughter [[Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire]] were noted for their lavish spending and social connections }} John served as Member of Parliament for [[Warwick (UK Parliament constituency)|Warwick]] from 1756 to 1761. He was renowned for his heavy spending on his political pursuits and campaigns, "indulging in the fiercely competitive and heinously expensive business of fighting elections to Parliament – which effectively meant bribing people to vote for his candidate rather than that of another magnate".{{Sfn|Spencer|1998|p=35}} He spent £120,000 in one campaign alone and spent heavily on his estates, building [[Spencer House, London|Spencer House]] in London. He also wore expensive fashionable attire such as "diamond-buckled shoes". Althorp frequently hosted parties attended by the political and cultural elite, and it became known as a place of indulgence and festivities. At dinners and picnics in the gardens, John hired musicians to play French horns and organised unusual spectacles to entertain guests, such as a "[[Hooray Henry|Hooray Henry Olympics]]", as Charles Spencer calls it, with a donkey race for Lord Fordwick, dance competitions offering a [[Guinea (British coin)|guinea]] as the first prize, and sack races with the first prize of 30 shillings.{{Sfn|Spencer|1998|p=37}} The Christmas of 1755 was a grand affair. John celebrated his 21st birthday with a ball at the house on 20 December during which he secretly married 18-year-old [[Georgiana Spencer, Countess Spencer|Margaret Georgiana Poyntz]]; the couple did not inform anyone for several days.<ref name="Oak Room">{{cite web|url=http://www.spencerofalthorp.com/heritage/unique-home/oak-bedroom |title=The Oak Bedroom |publisher=Spencerofalthorp.com |access-date=20 May 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406012519/http://www.spencerofalthorp.com/heritage/unique-home/oak-bedroom |archive-date=6 April 2015 }}</ref> Around 5,000 guests were invited to a celebration party organised by the Spencers in a shed on the village green in the nearby village of [[Brington, Northamptonshire|Brington]], consuming some 11,000 pints of beer. Althorp was "buzzing with activity", and France's top chefs were brought to Althorp to cater for the family and their guests during the week.{{Sfn|Spencer|1998|p=38}} He was created Baron Spencer of Althorp and Viscount Spencer by George III on 3 April 1761, and on 1 November 1765, he was given the title Viscount Althorp and made the first [[John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer|Earl Spencer]].{{sfn|Debrett|1840|p=681}} He was also High Steward of [[St Albans]] in 1772 and Mayor of St Albans in 1779.{{Sfn|Spencer|1998|p=35}} John's daughter, [[Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire]], was also known for her liberal spending, and although she became one of Britain's most prominent socialites in the late 18th century, with many political and literary connections,{{sfn|Smith|2013|p=49}} she suffered from a gambling addiction and had an eating disorder.{{sfn|Foreman|2001|p=xvi}} [[File:George John Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer 1774 76.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer|George John, 2nd Earl Spencer]], by [[Sir Joshua Reynolds]]]] John's son [[George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer|George John, 2nd Earl Spencer]] inherited Althorp after his father's death in 1783. He served as Whig MP for [[Northampton (UK Parliament constituency)|Northampton]] from 1780 to 1782 and for [[Surrey]] from 1782 to 1783 before accepting the title of 2nd Earl Spencer. He was later [[Home Secretary]] from 1806 to 1807 under [[William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville|Lord Grenville]] in the [[Ministry of All the Talents]]. Extremely interested in literary pursuits, he developed one of the largest private libraries in Europe at Althorp.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=72}} He was the instigator and first President of the [[Roxburghe Club]] (an exclusive [[Bibliophilia|bibliophilic]] club), founded in 1812, President of the [[Royal Institution]] from 1813 to 1827,{{sfn|James|1993|p=53}} and Commissioner of the [[Record Commission|Public Records]] in 1831, among other literary pursuits.{{sfn|Cooper|1833|p=7}} In later life, his collecting habit had become an obsession, and he attempted to collect every volume ever published in Britain.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=72}} Such was his desire to obtain as complete a collection as possible, that when [[Napoleon]] instigated the [[German mediatisation|secularisation of religious houses in south Germany]], Spencer used the local British agent and [[Benedictine monk]], [[Alexander Horn]] to acquire many of their rare books and manuscripts.<ref name="ODNB1">{{cite ODNB|id=51261|title=Horn, Alexander (1762–1820)|author=Mark Dilworth}}</ref> Althorp became a major cultural hub of England during his time; at one Christmas, the actor [[David Garrick]], the historian [[Edward Gibbon]], the playwright [[Richard Brinsley Sheridan]] and the painter [[Joshua Reynolds]], among other artistic figures attended a party there together.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=73}} However, George John's spending became problematic for the Spencers, especially as at the time they were feeling the impact of the agricultural depressions brought on by the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. By the time of his death in 1834 he had amassed a debt of £500,000, which he passed onto his son, [[John Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer]].{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=73}} The 3rd Earl became an active statesman, serving as [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] under [[Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey|Lord Grey]] and [[William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne|Lord Melbourne]] from 1830 to 1834. Along with [[John Russell, 1st Earl Russell|Lord John Russell]], he led the fight to pass the [[Reform Act 1832|Reform Bill of 1832]], making more than twenty speeches, and is generally considered the architect of its victory.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Charles-Spencer-3rd-Earl-Spencer|title=John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref> Despite his debts, in respect for his father, John managed to retain the massive book collection, and also continue to run the other Spencer houses at Wimbledon and Spencer House in London, as well as his farm in [[Wiseton]] and shooting retreat in Norfolk. He achieved this mainly by far less extravagant living, spending much of the year at Wiseton where the running costs were £1,200 compared with the £5,000 needed to run Althorp and pay the staff of 40 in the house.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=75}} As a result, Althorp was largely abandoned during the late 1830s and early 1840s. John also leased out his lands and gardens and sold land in [[Buckinghamshire]] and [[Bedfordshire]], repaying all the debt by the time of his death in 1845, and beginning to run his properties at a profit. His son [[Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer]], who owned Althorp from 1845 until his death in 1857, also retained the collection.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=78}} [[John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer]], known as the Red Earl, inherited Althorp in 1857. He served as a [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] politician and was a close friend of British prime minister [[William Ewart Gladstone|William Gladstone]], who he served under in all four of his cabinets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spencerofalthorp.com/heritage/unique-family/john-poyntz-fifth-earl-spencer |title=John Poyntz, Fifth Earl Spencer |publisher=Spencerofalthorp.com |access-date=24 May 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402081715/http://www.spencerofalthorp.com/heritage/unique-family/john-poyntz-fifth-earl-spencer |archive-date=2 April 2015 }}</ref> Although politically successful, John fell into hard times financially and was forced to eventually sell much of the enormous library collection in 1892 to [[Enriqueta Rylands]], who was building the [[University of Manchester]] Library.<ref name=library.manchester.ac.uk>{{cite web|title=George John, 2nd Earl Spencer |url=http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/firstimpressions/Pioneers-of-Print/George-John%2C-2nd-Earl-Spencer |publisher=University of Manchester |access-date=30 March 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207170053/http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/firstimpressions/Pioneers-of-Print/George-John,-2nd-Earl-Spencer/ |archive-date=7 February 2012 }}</ref> After dying childless in 1910, John passed Althorp to his half brother, [[Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer]], who served as [[Lord Chamberlain]] from 1905 to 1912 in the Liberal administrations headed by [[Henry Campbell-Bannerman|Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman]] and [[H. H. Asquith]].{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} ===Modern history=== [[File:William Orpen Charles Robert 6th Earl Spencer.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer]], who owned Althorp from 1910 until his death in 1922. Portrait by [[Sir William Orpen]].]] Times became more difficult for the Spencers by the late 19th century, and many of their assets had to be sold off. [[Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer]] inherited the estate after his father Charles' death in 1922. Albert became a well-known art connoisseur and was a trustee of the [[Wallace Collection]], chairman of the [[Royal School of Needlework]], a Fellow of both the [[Society of Antiquaries of London]] and the [[Royal Society of Arts]], and from 1961 until 1969 he was Chair of the Advisory Council of the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The ... Volume of the Walpole Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hnVGAQAAIAAJ| volume=45| year=1976| publisher=Walpole Society|page=9}}</ref> Despite his keen interest in art, he began selling off paintings and other items to pay off debts. In the 1930s he was forced to sell off a small but immaculate [[Hans Holbein the Younger|Hans Holbein]] portrait of [[Henry VIII]] (now at the [[Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum]], [[Madrid]]) for £10,000 to finance his son's education. Although a large sum at the time, by 1998 it was reputed to be worth around £50 million.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=6}} Unlike many country houses in Britain during the [[Second World War]] which were occupied by the military and converted into hospitals, training camps and barracks, Althorp Palace remained untouched, thanks to Albert who saw to it that they used the stables instead. A [[Vickers Wellington|Wellington bomber]] crashed near the ice house during the war, killing all of its crew.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=111}} Due to Spencer House being in a dangerous location in London during [[the Blitz]], many of the pieces of furniture and items of the house were brought to Althorp for safekeeping, including numerous fireplaces and doors with curled "S" doorknobs, a signature of the Spencer family dating to the 18th century.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=111}} The estate was first opened to the public in 1953 by Albert, to mitigate against taxation,{{sfn|Palmer|2008|p=152}} and Althorp had its own railway station called [[Althorp Park railway station|Althorp Park]] on the [[Northampton Loop Line]] until 1960.<ref>{{cite book|title=Electric Railway Society Journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ypeAAAAIAAJ|year=1995|publisher=The Electric Railway Society |page=21}}</ref> After his death in 1975, Albert passed Althorp to his son [[Edward John, 8th Earl Spencer]], who had served as [[Equerry]] to [[George VI of the United Kingdom|King George VI]] (1950–52) and to [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] (1952–54).<ref name=Diana1>{{cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page155.asp |title=Diana, Princess of Wales biography |publisher=Royal.gov.uk |access-date=24 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525233322/http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page155.asp |archive-date=25 May 2014 }}</ref> Edward was a wine connoisseur and had an extensive wine cellar at Althorp. He made his own wine and attracted fellow connoisseurs from around the world to Althorp, although he did not sell much of it.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=119}} During Edward's ownership of Althorp approximately 20% of the furnishings of Althorp were sold off.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|p=122}} The divestment included eleven Van Dykes and nearly every religious painting in the collection, as well as estate housing, and drew severe public criticism, including from the heir.<ref>{{cite web|title = Who'll Stop the Raine? : People.com|url = http://people.com/archive/wholl-stop-the-raine-vol-36-no-12/|work = People (magazine)|access-date = 16 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title = January 2010: Charles Spencer on the English Aristocracy|url = http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/01/english-aristocracy-201001|magazine = Vanity Fair| date=14 December 2009 |access-date = 16 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Raine and Johnnie: Spencers and the Scandal of Althorp|last = Levin|first = Angela|publisher = Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year = 1993|isbn = 978-0297813255|location = London}}</ref> Edward left the estate to his son, the current owner [[Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer]], after his death in 1992. As a teenager, Charles served as a tour guide at the house and acquired a deep knowledge of Althorp.<ref name="CP05" /> At the time he inherited the estate it was losing some £400,000 annually, and the staff of 14 had to be significantly reduced.{{sfn|Spencer|1998|pp=123–24}} Charles' older sister was [[Diana, Princess of Wales]], who grew up with him at Althorp.<ref name="Diana1" /> [[File:Althorp House1.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Althorp House in July 2007]] Since the 1990s Charles Spencer has done much to increase the revenue earned by the estate to keep it running. The annual Althorp Literary Festival was founded in 2003.<ref name=Bonsor2013>{{cite news|last=Bonsor |first=Sacha |title=Althorp Literary Festival 2013 |url=http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/guide/restaurant/althorp-literary-festival-2013 |access-date=30 March 2014 |newspaper=Harper's Bazaar |date=2 May 2013 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406204832/http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/guide/restaurant/althorp-literary-festival-2013 |archive-date=6 April 2014 }}</ref><ref name=spencerofalthorp>{{cite web|title=The 11th Althorp Literary Festival |url=http://www.spencerofalthorp.com/literary-festival |publisher=Spencer of Althorp |access-date=30 March 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312232049/http://www.spencerofalthorp.com/literary-festival |archive-date=12 March 2015 }}</ref> The heir apparent is Charles' son Louis Frederick John Spencer (born 1994). Charles has expressed concerns about the future of the estate and whether Louis might be forced to sell it.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/news/9654431/Earl-Spencers-concern-over-the-heir-to-the-Althorp-estate.html|title=Earl Spencer's concern over the heir to the Althorp estate|work=The Telegraph|date=5 November 2012|access-date=3 April 2014|last1=Balls|first1=Katy}}</ref> In 2005 Charles endorsed a furniture collection of replicas from the house, known as the Althorp Living History Collection.<ref name="CP05"/> In 2009 a major restoration of the roof, stonework and the mathematical tiles that clad the building was undertaken. Approximately £10 million was spent on repairing the roof alone. In 2010 an auction of over 700 items from Althorp's attics and cellars, as well as a Rubens and other notable works, achieved £21 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-222569505.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629113329/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-222569505.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 June 2014| title=Cash in the attic: Althorp antiques clearout may raise more than [pounds sterling]20m|publisher=Northampton Chronicle and Echo| via= [[HighBeam Research]] |date=20 March 2010|access-date=25 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christies.com/The-Althorp-Attic-Sale-22870.aspx|title=The Althorp Attic Sale|publisher=Christie's}}</ref>
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