Earl Spencer tackles Althorp’s decades-old key mystery
Sorting Althorp's antique keys: a summer challenge for Earl Spencer
Householders often face the challenge of identifying old keys in drawers and cupboards. However, at Althorp, the childhood home of Princess Diana, this task becomes even more formidable.
Earl Spencer recently shared images on social media of hundreds of keys that have accumulated over the years at Althorp, many of which appear to be antiques. He mentioned that the estate staff are tackling a “summer challenge” of matching these mislaid keys to their corresponding locks, saying: “They will be tried in every door, cabinet, and chest here.”
The magnitude of this task is significant. Althorp, a Grade I listed stately home dating back to 1688, boasts 90 rooms and spans over 500 acres, encompassing cottages, farms, and outbuildings.
Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, posted photos showing two estate staff members attempting to fit keys into an ornate writing desk. He wrote: “Key summer challenge: Two of the @AlthorpHouse team are tackling the mass of mislaid keys that have piled up over the decades. They will be tried in every door, cabinet, and chest here. This has been on our to-do list for many decades. I will let you know how they do.” He added: “We’ve accumulated this staggering collection of lost keys over several decades. It’ll require a lot of patience and hope.”
Key summer challenge: 2 of the @AlthorpHouse team tackling the mass of mislaid keys that have piled up over the decades: they will be tried in every door, cabinet, & chest here. Something that has been on our To Do List for many decades. I will let you know how they do. pic.twitter.com/blnrUKpyAH
— Charles Spencer (@cspencer1508) July 29, 2024
His post received numerous well-wishers’ replies, curious whether this effort might uncover secrets from Althorp’s history.
About Spencer family
The Spencer family has owned the estate for over five centuries. Althorp House dates back to 1688, although a smaller dwelling existed on the site earlier. Princess Diana spent her childhood there, and her father inherited the estate when she was 14. She was laid to rest on a small island in the Round Oval lake on the estate grounds.
Earl Spencer, younger brother to Diana and uncle to Prince William and Prince Harry, has overseen extensive renovations at the house. Recent excavations on the grounds have revealed an Anglo-Saxon settlement, a Roman villa, and coins dating back to the 4th Century Roman emperor Constantine the Great.
