Earl Charles Spencer's daughter has opened up about their conversation that took place after Princess Diana's death, amid reports of a cooled relationship between the Earl and his elder children.
Spencer, who did not attend the weddings of his daughters Lady Kitty and Lady Amelia in 2021 and 2023, respectively, also has a daughter named Lady Eliza.
Lady Eliza Spencer, 32, has opened up about her aunt's 1997 death and how the Earl broke the news.
"We thought it couldn't be real," Lady Eliza told The Standard in an interview published earlier today.
Earl Charles Spencer's daughter reveals heartbreaking conversation she had with her father.
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She recalled asking her father: "But not in real life, Daddy?"
Eliza's mentioning of her father in a new interview comes amid reports of a strained relationship between the Earl and his children.
The family are understood to be distant following Earl Spencer's divorce from their mother, Victoria Aitken.
The innocent question from the young child captures the disbelief that gripped the nation when Diana died aged 36.
Earl Charles Spencer pictured with his children in 2000.
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Lady Eliza, who models alongside her identical twin sister Lady Amelia, is one of Diana's younger brother's seven children.
The twins were raised in Cape Town, South Africa, with their older sister Lady Kitty, younger brother Louis, Viscount Althorp, and half-brother Samuel Aitken. Diana visited the Spencer family there just months before her tragic death.
"We were five, but we remember going to the beach with her, and her being a very gentle and kind and sweet figure in our lives," Lady Eliza recalled of their aunt's final visit.
The princess, who was extremely close to her younger brother Charles throughout their childhood, spent precious time with her nieces and nephews in South Africa during what would become one of her last family gatherings.
Charles, Earl Spencer, with Amelia Spencer, Kitty Spencer, and Eliza Spencer at the 10th Anniversary Memorial Service for Diana in 2007.
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Earl Spencer has spoken candidly about his enduring grief over his sister's death. In a recent appearance on ITV's Loose Men, the 61-year-old described losing Diana as "such an amputation".
"You grow up with these people, they are your flesh and blood, they're with you forever - and then they're gone," he said during the Mental Health Awareness Week special.
Charles revealed he would still instinctively think to call Diana years after her death. "For years after Diana died, I would think, 'I must ring her and tell her something,' because we shared the same sense of humour," he explained.
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(Left to Right) Lady Amelia Spencer, Lady Kitty Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer attended the Centrepoint Awards 2024.
GettyThe twins recently discussed their fashion careers in the same interview, revealing details about their seventies-inspired campaign with British brand Aspinal of London. They credited their mother, a former model, as their greatest style influence.
"She's so naturally chic, she never tries too hard - it's less is more," Lady Amelia said of their 60-year-old mother, whom they described as their "biggest fashion role model" and "biggest cheerleader" professionally.
The sisters, who wore matching Vera Wang gowns at this year's Cannes Film Festival, have established themselves as fixtures in high-end fashion circles whilst maintaining close family ties.
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