Meghan Markle once had a quiet, personal moment at Princess Diana’s gravesite, Prince Harry previously shared.
Princess Diana, who passed away in August 1997 at the age of 36, is laid to rest at the Althorp estate—her childhood home. This week, the estate has been in the spotlight again following reports that a farmhouse on the property was allegedly damaged by vandals. Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, addressed the incident on Wednesday, calling it “disturbing.”
She was buried at Althorp due to Charles’ concerns about public safety and the need for privacy. Over the years, both Prince William and Prince Harry have made visits to their mother’s resting place.
One such visit occurred in 2017, when Harry took his then-girlfriend Meghan to the site.
Harry recounted the experience in his 2023 memoir Spare.
He wrote that he and Meghan visited the gravesite on the 20th anniversary of his mother’s death. Diana is buried on a small island on the Althorp Estate in Northampton. To reach it, the couple rowed across the water.
After he had paid his respects, Harry noticed Meghan wanted a moment to herself.
“When I returned, she was on her knees with her eyes closed and her palms flat against the stone,” he wrote.
Later, Meghan told him that during that moment, she had asked Diana for “clarity and guidance.”
In more recent news, Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, spoke publicly after a fire broke out at one of the Althorp estate’s farmhouses.
Posting on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Charles wrote: “Stunned to learn that one of the @AlthorpHouse’s farmhouses – fortunately, unoccupied at the time – was apparently burnt down by vandals last night.
“With thanks to @northantsfire for doing their very best. So very sad that anyone would think this is a fun thing to do.”
On Wednesday, May 28, he also shared an image of the blaze, adding: “Luckily unoccupied at the time – but still deeply disturbing that one of your farmhouses was torched by vandals last night.”
Where is Princess Diana buried?
Diana is buried on an island located in the middle of Oval Lake, which sits within the grounds of Althorp Park.
Following her funeral, Charles Spencer released a statement explaining the decision to lay her to rest at the estate: “It has been decided to bury Diana, Princess of Wales, in the grounds of Althorp Park, where her grave can be properly looked after by her family and visited in privacy by her sons.”
Speaking previously to the BBC, Charles expressed his concern about the intensity of public emotion at the time of her death: “There was such a whipped up feeling of emotion everywhere that I was very worried about where we could safely bury her.”
Can the public visit Diana’s grave?
While the island itself is not open to visitors, the public can view the gravesite from a distance. There’s also a nearby memorial where people are welcome to leave flowers.