Charles Spencer shares a moving four-word reaction on anniversary of Princess Diana's tragic death

Charles Spencer has taken to social media on the 29th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, sharing a short but moving tribute to his late older sister. Posting photographs of the family seat, Althorp House, the Earl captioned the post: “31 August. My least favourite day.”

Exterior of Althorp house with flag at half mast — Charles Spencer shared a photograph of Althorp to mark the occasion

A closer view of the photographs show the Spencer family crest on a flag flown at half-mast, a traditional symbol of mourning.

Charles described his sister as: “a one-off, dynamic character, full of love, charisma and self-doubt, who gave life a hell of a go, and left the world a far better place, despite exiting the stage while still so young.” She would have turned 65 in July this year.

How did Princess Diana die?

31 August marks the death of Princess Diana during a high-speed car chase in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, France. The car was pursued by photographers after leaving the Hôtel Ritz, and the princess died at 4am in the Pitie-Salpêtrière Hospital after going into cardiac arrest as a result of massive chest injuries.

Prince William and Prince Harry lost their mom, Princess Diana, when they were 15 and 12, respectively — Prince William and Prince Harry lost their mother, Princess Diana, when they were 15 and 12, respectively

The crash also instantly killed the driver of the car, Henri Paul, and Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, who were pronounced dead at the scene, while Diana’s British bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the only survivor of the crash. An inquest found that the driver of the car was speeding and over the legal drink-drive limit.

Diana’s final resting place

Following the tradition of 20 generations of Spencers over five hundred years, the expectation was that Diana would be buried in the family vault in the nearby village of Great Brington. However, fearing for her security, Charles changed plans. He decided to bury his sister on an island in the centre of the Oval Lake near an arboretum containing trees planted by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

An aerial view of the burial site of Diana, Princess of Wales on the Round Oval lake — An aerial view of the burial site of Diana, Princess of Wales

The decision was a poignant one, as Althorp was Diana’s childhood home, where she lived with her four siblings and the place where she met then-Prince Charles, who visited the estate while dating Diana’s sister Lady Sarah Spencer in 1977.

In 1998, her brother reflected on the private location, which was only accessible for her family via boat. He expressed his intention that the island would “act as a buffer against the interventions of the insane and ghoulish, the thick mud presenting a further line of defence. We all agreed that, with its beauty and tranquillity, this was the place for Diana to be.”