A new head of the Spencer family is about to take the reins.
A relative of Prince William and Prince Harry is set to inherit a vast fortune.
While you’re likely familiar with most of the royal family and their extended relations, you might not know much about the Spencers, particularly the cousins on that side.
Since Princess Diana’s passing in 1997, her family has kept a relatively low profile. However, her nephew, Louis, is soon to inherit the Spencer family fortune.
The 31-year-old actor usually stays out of the limelight, but now he’s making headlines as he’s poised to inherit a substantial $130 million ($100.26 million in the UK).
Louis is known as the Viscount Althorp,who was named one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors in 2019 by Tatler.
The publication described him as ‘tall, debonair, and very handsome’.
He was even at the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, donning his typical Spencer features – which are very similar to Harry’s – which is why he was given the nickname ‘Harry Lite.’
The actor is the eldest son of Princess Diana’s brother Charles and his first wife, Victoria Lockwood.
Even though he has Kitty, Amelia, and Eliza as his older sisters, they were unable to inherit the fortune due to the long-standing male primogeniture rule which sees the eldest male inherit the family’s estate and wealth.
So, when his father dies, he will inherit his dad’s title and become the 10th Earl Spencer, and he’ll also take over Princess Diana’s family home, the 13,500-acre Althorp Estate.
Elder sister Kitty spoke about the it to Town & Country, saying: “Primogeniture can be a tricky topic because, as times are changing, so are attitudes. We’ve grown up understanding that it’s Louis who will inherit, and Louis will do an incredible job.”
According to The Sun, the estate is worth approximately £100 million.
Royal recently have been talking about the resemblance between Prince Harry and Louis after he celebrated his birthday this month.
Louis made one of his first major royal appearances at the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton when he was just 17 years old, and then he went on to go to Harry’s and Meghan’s in 2018, seven years later.
While Harry and William have gone on to settle down, Louis is said to have received numerous marriage proposals from fans. However, good luck getting him to accept!
The Spencer family relocated to Cape Town in 1995 after the publicity that came their way during Princess Diana’s marriage and separation to King Charles. But after attending Diocesan College, he came back to the UK to study at the University of Edinburgh, before beginning his course at the ArtsEd drama school in Chiswick.
Now, he has taken on the stage name Louis John Lyons and is managed by the same talent agency as Lily James and Dominic West.
So, maybe we’ll get to see him in a few productions soon, or perhaps at another royal engagement?
