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Princess Diana's Brother Shares Childhood Portrait of Their Father...And It Looks So Much Like Prince George

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charles spencer photo father
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From portraits of his late grandmother to fun childhood snaps, Charles Spencer's Instagram account is a gold mine of vintage content. So, it comes as no surprise that the author and podcaster chose to honor his late father by sharing painted portraits of the 8th Earl Spencer.

Last week, Princess Diana's brother, 59, marked what would have been John Spencer's 100th birthday by posting three paintings of the British nobleman in different stages of his life. The first shows him as a young boy and in the second, he's a 21-year-old British Army officer. Meanwhile, the third, which was painted after he passed, reveals an older John Spencer posing on the couch with a smile.

Charles captioned the post, "My father was born on 24 January 1924—100 years ago today. Three portraits of him hang at Althorp—the first, as a boy, by Sir William Nicholson; the next, by Rodrigo Moynihan, when he was a 21-year-old officer in the Royal Scots Greys; and the third (painted posthumously), by Paul Brason. I particularly like that the Brason one is the only portrait at Althorp where the sitter is smiling! A very Happy Birthday to a deeply loving father."

Not surprisingly, fans were quick to see the resemblance between John and his children. One fan commented, "I see you, your sister and nephew in that first portrait. The Spencer genes are absolutely unmistakable." Another added, "Gosh Charles you look just like him in the first picture."

Apparently, those strong genes were passed down to his great-grandchildren, because it's hard to miss the similarities between John and Prince George, who could pass for siblings.

prince george 1

In the pic above, you'll notice that Prince George is practically a replica of the first painting, all the way down to his hair and facial expression. One follower commented, "Prince George is so like his great-grandfather. He is definitely a Spencer."

This isn't the first time Charles shared a pic of his dad from the Spencer family archives. In October 2023, he posted a snap of his grandmother walking his father to school as a child.

In the pic, John is seen wearing a top hat and a dark suit for the occasion. “My grandmother, Cynthia Spencer, accompanying my father at @eton.college in the late 1930s,” he wrote in the caption.

In response, one fan said, "I love that you share old family photos and help to keep the memories alive of prior generations. You are an excellent steward of your family’s history!"

We'll keep our eyes peeled for more throwback family portraits as we await Charles Spencer's tell-all memoir, A Very Private School.

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