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Charles Spencer Shares WWII-Era Photo of His and Princess Diana’s Dad

Charles Spencer.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Charles Spencer, 58, may *officially* be the 9th Earl Spencer in title, but to us, he's the unofficial King of Throwbacks.

The younger brother of Princess Diana just shared another vintage photo to his account, which sees his and Lady Di's father, Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, when he was only a teenager.

“My father (kneeling - to the right - with saw in hand) and @eton.college school friends, helping the war effort in around 1940,” Spencer wrote in his caption.

As noted by Charles, the late 8th Earl Spencer is seen kneeling down to the right. At the bottom of the photo, there is a short press clipping that confirms his appearance. It reads: “Working the saw are Viscount Althorp (right) and H. Bruce.” The clipping also notes that the teenage boys were paid sixpence an hour to assist with forestry work.

Even though this is only a profile shot of their dad (and it's somewhat far away), we can clearly see the resemblance between the 8th Earl Spencer and his kids. One user even commented, “Goodness I thought that was you!!”

spencer hero
Evening Standard/Getty Images

These days, the 9th Earl Spencer loves sharing vintage photos of his family members (which makes sense, given his affinity for history).

In the past, he's dug up various photos of his and Princess Diana's dad. For instance, back in January, he shared a black-and-white snap, with a caption that read: “My father in 1940, aged 16, standing outside an ivy-clad Althorp. Today would have been his 99th birthday.”

Given that Spencer said this latest photo was taken around 1940 too, we would guess that his dad is probably close to the same age.

We never get tired of these slices of history, Charles.

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Princess Diana’s Brother Charles Spencer Posts Extremely Rare Newspaper Clipping of 1966 Family Photo



calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.