Princess Diana's brother shares 'cherished' forgotten photo to mark her birthday
Diana tragically died in 1997
Charles Spencer, the younger brother of the late Princess Diana, has marked what would have been her 64th birthday with a touching tribute and a never-before-seen childhood photo.
Taking to Instagram on July 1, the 9th Earl Spencer shared a black-and-white photo from 1967.
The image shows six-year-old Diana riding a camel at her birthday party, accompanied by a young Charles Spencer.
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Princess Diana’s brother shares family photo for her birthday
“Another July 1st, from long ago – 1967,” he captioned the photo. “In fact: for Diana’s 6th birthday party, my father (standing, left) – to huge excitement – secured the services of Bert the Camel, from Thorney Wildlife Park, in Peterborough.”
The black-and-white snapshot shows the two youngest Spencer siblings beaming atop the camel. It also adds to a growing collection of personal photos Charles has publicly shared to keep his sister’s legacy alive.
Fans took to the comments to send their birthday wishes to the late Princess.
“Happy birthday, Princess Diana. You will always be in our hearts,” one wrote.
“We are still missing her so much. We love her and remember her every day,” another echoed.
Diana, Princess of Wales, died tragically in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. She was just 36 years old.
Just this week, Charles also posted a portrait of Diana hanging inside the ancestral Spencer family home, Althorp House, where she is buried.
Earlier in the week, he shared another family snapshot from the late 1980s. The image shows Diana with her siblings, father Johnnie Spencer, and stepmother Raine.
“Trying to remember what this rather formal family photograph was for,” he mused.
“It shows my sisters and brothers-in-law, flanking my father and stepmother, at the base of the main staircase (in the central hallway, known as the Saloon) at @althorphouse in the late ‘80s. Perhaps it was something to do with my father’s 65th birthday, in January 1989? Definitely an ‘80s air to it all.”
‘It’s such an amputation’
In an appearance on Loose Men, Charles spoke about the emotional weight of losing his sister nearly three decades ago.
“It’s such an amputation,” he said. “You grow up with these people, they are your flesh and blood, they’re with you forever, and then they’re gone.
“For years after Diana died, I would think, ‘I must ring her and tell her something’. We shared the same sense of humour. You just realise, of course, that’s not going to happen.”
Speaking to Good Morning Britain in October 2023, he also revealed that he visits Diana’s gravesite at Althorp “pretty much every day”.
“Like everyone else, you sort of get used to it without it ever going away,” he admitted.
Princess Diana, born Diana Spencer, was the third child of John Spencer and Frances Shand Kydd.
She rose to global fame after marrying Prince Charles (now King Charles) in 1981, becoming the Princess of Wales and the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry.
Although she and Charles divorced in 1996, her dedication to humanitarian causes, compassion, and modern approach to royal life left an indelible mark on the monarchy and the world.
Read more: In pictures: Princess Diana’s early years of married life within the royal family
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