Althorp House: A British Treasure for Five Centuries

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Althorp House

This exterior view of the mansion is a favorite of Charles, the present Earl of Spencer. Though it's famous as a historic and ancestral family home, most of the world knows Althorp as the final resting place of the late and much-beloved Princess Diana. She is buried on a tree-covered island in a small lake near the main house. More than 30,000 people make pilgrimages to the site annually, but visitors may pay homage to the late princess only from the water's edge. No one is allowed to set foot on the island without special permission, and Diana's actual grave is unmarked. A path leading from the house to the lake is lined by a row of 36 oak trees planted by Diana's brother Charles — one tree to commemorate each year of Diana's life.