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EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Sad Pilgrimage Princess Diana's Brother Makes Every Day to Her Ultra-Private Island Mausoleum — And Why His Grief Over Her Death 'Will Never End'

inside tragic pilgrimage princess diana brother every day grave pp
Source: MEGA

Charles Spencer is said to be haunted by the death of his sister Princess Diana, right.

June 5 2025, Published 11:00 a.m. ET

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Charles Spencer has revealed the quiet, emotional routine he has followed for years: visiting his sister Princess Diana’s final resting place every day.

RadarOnline.com can report the 60-year-old historian and 9th Earl Spencer said about his sad ritual: "I go pretty much every day. Even when I was in makeup just now, somebody came up almost crying saying how much she meant to them."

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Constant Pain

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inside tragic pilgrimage princess diana brother every day grave
Source: MEGA

Pals say the Earl will go to his grave bearing huge pain over Di's death.

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The late Princess of Wales was buried on a small, secluded island at the center of Oval Lake, within the grounds of Althorp House – the Spencer family’s 500-year-old estate in Northamptonshire.

While the mausoleum is closed to the public, Charles crosses the lake daily in a handmade canoe, gifted to him by a close friend.

Spencer said he does not always speak aloud to Diana when he visits, but the ritual has become part of his life.

"Last week, one of her closest childhood friends came and was on the island," he added. "And that was so nice."

Spencer became custodian of the Althorp estate following the death of their father, John Spencer, in 1992.

It was here Diana, killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997, was laid to rest in what he has described as an effort to ensure her peace and protection.

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Island Grave

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prince harry family at risk princess diana security cutbacks
Source: MEGA

The princess is buried in a remote location on her brother's land.

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The island is accessible only by boat – a change made after an earlier bridge was dismantled for security and privacy reasons.

Prince Harry, now 40, wrote in his memoir Spare the bridge was removed to prevent intruders and preserve his mother's privacy.

He described his own rare visits to the site as deeply emotional and noted the symbolic quiet of the place where she lies.

"The bridge had been removed, to give my mother privacy, to keep intruders away," he wrote.

The only space open to the public at Althorp is The Temple, a Grecian-style monument that predates Diana’s death but was rededicated to her memory in 1998.

Visitors can read excerpts from Spencer's moving eulogy, delivered at her funeral at Westminster Abbey.

The plaque nearby bears his words: a pointed message at the time about the media’s intrusion into her life and a vow to protect her sons.

More than 25 years on, Spencer says Diana's presence is still felt by people around the world – and he is reminded of that daily.

"Every day people tell me what an inspiration she was, how much they miss her, what they did the day she died. It's extraordinary," he said.

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Family Pain

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inside tragic pilgrimage princess diana brother every day grave
Source: MEGA

Di's two children, Princes William and Harry, at her 1997 funeral.

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Diana's death on August 31, 1997, at the age of 36, shook the world.

The black Mercedes she was in, along with her suspected lover Dodi Fayed, crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel while being pursued by paparazzi.

Their driver, Henri Paul, was found to be intoxicated at the time.

Her death prompted an outpouring of grief that saw an estimated 2.5 billion people watch her funeral broadcast.

Mourners left more than a million bouquets outside her Kensington Palace home alone.

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princess diana crash tunnel car
Source: MEGA

The horrific scene of Di's crash in Paris.

Despite years passing, conspiracy theories and public fascination persist.

In 2008, a British inquest ruled her death was the result of unlawful killing due to the gross negligence of both the driver and the paparazzi.

Yet for Spencer, the focus is not on controversy — but memory.

And as long as he lives at Althorp, he says his sister’s presence will never fade.

Our source added: "His grief is simply never-ending."

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